---
title: "Spotify Partner Program 2026: requirements and new countries"
description: "Spotify Partner Program eligibility: 1,000 audience, 2,000 hours, 3 episodes. Plus the 37 new countries opening October 20, 2026, and how you earn."
url: https://exemplary.ai/blog/spotify-partner-program-requirements
published: 2026-09-18
updated: 2026-09-30
author: "Sarath Chandran"
publisher: "Exemplary AI (https://exemplary.ai)"
---

# Spotify Partner Program 2026: requirements and new countries

To apply for the Spotify Partner Program, your show needs at least 3 published episodes, at least 2,000 consumption hours on Spotify in the last 30 days and an audience of at least 1,000 on Spotify in the same 30 days. You also need a legal address in an eligible market, and your show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators or a host that supports the program ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/)). Spotify lowered those thresholds on January 7, 2026, from 12 episodes, 10,000 hours and 2,000 listeners ([Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-01-07/spotify-partner-program-updates/)). On September 17, 2026, Spotify announced its largest expansion yet, to 37 new markets including Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Poland and Colombia ([Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-09-17/partner-program-expansion-global/)). Spotify's help centre says the program opens there on October 20, 2026.

## Spotify Partner Program requirements

| Requirement | Now (since January 7, 2026) | Before |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Audience on Spotify, last 30 days | 1,000 (based on plays) | 2,000 listeners |
| Consumption hours on Spotify, last 30 days | 2,000 | 10,000 |
| Published episodes (all time) | 3 | 12 |

Sources: [Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/) and [Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-01-07/spotify-partner-program-updates/).

You also need:

- **A legal address in an eligible market** (lists below).
- **A supported host.** Spotify's help page lists hosting on Spotify for Creators as a criterion. Megaphone shows go through their Megaphone representative, and some other hosts now connect through Spotify's Distribution API (see below).

A few details matter when you read your numbers:

- **Streams are the unit that counts.** Spotify says the program "relies on streams to determine eligibility and revenue," and counts a stream when someone listens to or watches an episode for 60 seconds or more.
- **You must be 18 or older**, or have a parent or guardian who meets the age requirement, and you must be acting for business purposes ([Spotify Partner Program Terms](https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/spotify-partner-program-terms/)).
- **Your show is reviewed** against the [Spotify Partner Program monetization policies](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program-monetization-policies/) after you apply.

For scale: 2,000 hours in 30 days is roughly 67 hours of watching or listening a day. That's 1,000 people each spending two hours a month with your show, or 500 people spending four.

## Where the program is available now

Spotify lists these markets as live ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/)):

| Region | Countries |
| --- | --- |
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom |
| North America | Canada, United States |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |

The program launched in the US, UK, Canada and Australia in January 2025. It added eight European countries and New Zealand on April 29, 2025, and Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland in November 2025 ([Spotify for Creators](https://creators.spotify.com/resources/news/global-spotify-partner-program); [Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2025-11-13/spotify-partner-program-sweden-denmark-finland-iceland/)).

## New countries from October 20, 2026

Spotify's announcement says the program is "rolling out to these markets later this fall," and its help centre gives the date as October 20, 2026 ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/)). Until then, this is planned, not live.

| Region | Countries |
| --- | --- |
| Europe | Andorra, Italy, Malta, Poland, San Marino, Spain |
| North America and the Caribbean | Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago |
| South America | Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay |

One catch: in several markets, Spotify for Creators doesn't yet serve ads to listeners in that country. Spotify's list includes most of the smaller new markets, such as Andorra, the Bahamas, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Malta, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay, and some current ones, such as Luxembourg and Monaco. Creators there can still earn Premium video revenue, plus ad revenue when their episodes are played somewhere ads are served.

Your country isn't listed? Then you can't apply yet. Spotify says the markets "may change from time to time."

## How you earn

| Who's streaming | Video episode | Audio episode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spotify Premium subscribers in select markets | Premium video revenue | Ad revenue |
| Premium subscribers in other markets | Ad revenue | Ad revenue |
| Spotify Free listeners | Ad revenue | Ad revenue |
| Listeners off Spotify | Not applicable | Ad revenue |

Source: [Spotify for Creators](https://creators.spotify.com/resources/news/global-spotify-partner-program).

- **Ad revenue.** You get a 50% share of the revenue each time an ad monetized by Spotify plays in your episodes, on and off Spotify. You need at least one ad break in an episode to earn from it.
- **Premium video revenue.** Premium subscribers in eligible markets watch your video episodes without dynamic ads, and you're paid based on how much they stream. Spotify's formula includes consumption time, the listener's market and how many Premium users watch. It doesn't publish a per-stream rate. A video episode still needs at least one ad break to qualify ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/)).
- **Your own sponsorships.** The program includes tools to manage and report on sponsorships embedded in your episodes, and Spotify says creators keep 100% of that revenue ([Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-09-17/partner-program-expansion-global/)).

Two kinds of video can't earn Premium video revenue: video whose audio is mostly non-speech noise or sounds, and video with a "disproportionate host-read ad or sponsorship load" ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program-monetization-policies/)).

## If you don't host on Spotify for Creators

Since May 14, 2026, Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace let creators send video to Spotify and monetize eligible content through the program without switching hosts ([Spotify for Creators](https://creators.spotify.com/resources/news/expanding-video-partners-and-platforms)). Spotify had also named Acast and Omny as launch partners in January; check with them for status. Megaphone shows should ask their Megaphone representative. For any other host, ask your provider whether it supports the Spotify Partner Program.

## How to apply

1. Open the **Monetize** page in Spotify for Creators.
2. Confirm your location, and whether you're a business or an individual.
3. Check your eligibility progress. When you meet all the criteria, click **Apply now**.
4. Accept the Spotify Partner Program Terms.
5. Wait for the content review.
6. If approved, set up 2-step verification and your bank details in Spotify Payouts. You can't earn until the payout details are in.

Source: [Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/spotify-partner-program/).

## How to stay in the program

- **Publish and earn.** In any six-month period, your show must publish at least one episode and earn at least $10.
- **Turn on 2-step verification in time.** It's required once you earn $1,000 or more in a month. If you don't set it up within 30 days, payouts are held until you do.
- **Don't pause for too long.** If you pause the program for more than six months in a row, you may not earn enough to stay eligible and could be removed.

## How to reach 2,000 hours faster

The requirements reward watch time, not downloads. What moves the number:

1. **Publish video.** Only video episodes earn Premium video revenue, and Spotify says video shows in the program grew consumption hours by more than 45% on average since launch ([Spotify Newsroom](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-09-17/partner-program-expansion-global/)). That's Spotify's own average, not a guarantee.
2. **Publish on a schedule.** The 30-day window rolls forward every day. A steady release rhythm keeps your hours from dropping between episodes.
3. **Use Spotify Clips.** You can upload one clip per episode, 15 to 90 seconds long, as an MP4 or MOV up to 1 GB. Clips appear on your show page and can be recommended in Spotify's Home and Podcast feeds ([Spotify Support](https://support.spotify.com/us/creators/article/clips/)). Exemplary AI's [podcast clip generator](https://exemplary.ai/ai-podcast-clips-generator) cuts short, captioned clips from a full episode; keep the one you upload between 15 and 90 seconds.
4. **Send your other audiences to Spotify.** Clips on TikTok, Reels and Shorts can point people to the full episode. Our guide to [podcast clips for TikTok and Instagram](https://exemplary.ai/blog/podcast-clips-for-tiktok-and-instagram) covers the format, and our [podcast marketing guide](https://exemplary.ai/blog/ultimate-guide-to-podcast-marketing-strategies) covers the rest of the funnel.

Spotify is changing more than eligibility. See how the new [Skip ahead ad button](https://exemplary.ai/blog/spotify-skip-ahead-ad-button) affects sponsors, how [Apple Podcasts video monetization](https://exemplary.ai/blog/apple-podcasts-video-monetization) compares, and our [video podcast playbook for 2026](https://exemplary.ai/blog/video-podcast-playbook-2026).

## FAQ

### How many listeners do you need for the Spotify Partner Program?

An audience of at least 1,000 on Spotify in the last 30 days, based on plays, plus 2,000 consumption hours in the same period and at least 3 published episodes.

### When does the Spotify Partner Program launch in Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Italy?

Spotify's help centre says October 20, 2026, for all 37 new markets, including Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Poland and Colombia.

### Can audio-only podcasts join?

Yes. The eligibility criteria don't require video, and audio episodes earn ad revenue. Premium video revenue only applies to video episodes.

### How much does Spotify pay per stream?

Spotify doesn't publish a rate. Ad revenue is a 50% share of what Spotify earns from ads in your episodes, and Premium video revenue follows a formula based on consumption time and other factors.

### Is the Spotify Partner Program available in India?

No. India isn't among the current markets or the 37 markets opening on October 20, 2026.

### Do I have to host on Spotify to join?

No, but your host has to support the program. Spotify for Creators does. Megaphone users should ask their representative. Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace support video distribution and monetization through Spotify's Distribution API.

> Exemplary AI is a browser-based AI tool that turns long videos and recordings into short captioned clips, transcripts in 99 languages, subtitles, translations into 116 languages, and written posts such as summaries, blog posts and YouTube chapters. It is built for YouTubers, podcasters and marketing teams; the Free plan includes 500 one-time credits with watermarked video exports. Pricing: https://exemplary.ai/pricing