Spanish-language music takes Spotify by storm: Fastest-growing musical genre in platform's history
The rise of artists like Bad Bunny and J Balvin and the impact of "Despacito" have driven the global expansion of Spanish-language music, according to data published by Spotify in 2026.
File photo from Spotify
Spanish-language music has become the fastest-growing music genre in Spotify's history, driven by artists such as Bad Bunny and J Balvin and by songs that helped bring Hispanic sounds to audiences around the world, according to data published by the platform to mark its 20th anniversary.
Spotify identifies "Despacito," by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber, as one of the major turning points in this growth. The song's success played a major role in the increase in Spanish-language music streams recorded in 2017.
The song, originally released by Luis Fonsi and later turned into an international phenomenon with the remix featuring Justin Bieber, is also included in Spotify's list of the 100 best pop songs of the streaming era. The platform notes that its success helped foreshadow the growth of Hispanic music within the international pop scene.
The impact of that expansion can also be seen in Spotify's historical charts. Bad Bunny ranks second among the platform's most-streamed artists of all time, trailing only Taylor Swift, while J Balvin appears at No. 15. The data reflects cumulative global streams through April 2026.
In Bad Bunny's case, his reach is also reflected in his albums. "Un Verano Sin Ti" ranks first among the most-streamed albums of all time on Spotify, ahead of "Starboy" by The Weeknd.
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An expansion that goes beyond reggaeton
The growth of Spanish-language music is part of a broader expansion of Hispanic music on digital platforms. Spotify reported in September 2025 that Latin music accounted for more than 27% of the platform's global streams, up from 8% a decade earlier.
During that period, global streams of Latin music on Spotify increased by more than 2,500%, according to data published by the company.
The platform also highlighted the evolution of genres such as corridos tumbados and Mexican music, which have contributed to the international growth of Latin music beyond reggaeton and urban music.
Nor is this expansion limited to a small group of established artists. Spotify noted in August 2026 that Latin music's international presence continues to grow and mentioned, among others, Colombian artist Ryan Castro as one of the artists reaching new audiences outside the region.
An increasingly global phenomenon
In this context, Spanish-language music occupies a prominent place. The growth in its streams over the past few years has gone hand in hand with the international expansion of Latin American artists who have reached audiences outside their home markets without abandoning the language in which they began their careers.
This evolution also has a cultural component: songs, artists and genres that for years were primarily associated with the Latin American market are now a regular part of global music consumption.
With Bad Bunny among the two most-streamed artists in Spotify's history, "Un Verano Sin Ti" as the most-streamed album, and Spanish-language music as the fastest-growing musical language in the platform's history, Spotify's data reflects a shift in the international reach of Spanish-language music.
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