Spotify Turns 20: Neha Ahuja Reflects On India’s Streaming Revolution

As Spotify Marks 20 Years, Neha Ahuja Reflects on India’s Streaming Evolution

As music streaming giant Spotify celebrates its 20th anniversary globally, industry veteran Neha Ahuja shared a nostalgic reflection on the platform’s journey and the transformation of audio consumption in India over the last decade.

In a LinkedIn post, Ahuja revealed that she has spent eight years with Spotify, recalling a time when streaming itself needed explanation in the Indian market. “I joined Spotify in India when streaming was still something you had to explain to people,” she wrote, adding that the idea of having “all the music in the world, available to you, just like that” once felt revolutionary but has now become second nature for listeners.

Her remarks came alongside Spotify unveiling its all-time most-streamed artists, songs, albums and podcasts globally, offering a snapshot of how listening habits have evolved over two decades of digital audio.

Among the platform’s most-streamed songs of all time are Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, Shape of You by Ed Sheeran and Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. The charts also feature tracks such as Starboy, As It Was and Someone You Loved.

On the artists front, Taylor Swift emerged as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of all time, followed by Bad Bunny, Drake and The Weeknd. Other names on the list include Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar.

Spotify also highlighted the growing influence of podcast culture globally, with shows like The Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy ranking among the platform’s most-streamed podcasts ever.

Ahuja described the newly released rankings as more than just charts. “It’s a diary of the last two decades,” she wrote, reflecting on how songs, albums and podcasts have become deeply tied to listeners’ personal memories and cultural moments.

Spotify’s 20-year milestone arrives at a time when India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing audio streaming markets globally, fuelled by smartphone penetration, affordable internet and the rise of regional music consumption. What once felt like a disruptive tech proposition has now become an integral part of everyday entertainment behaviour for millions of users.