Catalog songs, defined as releases more than three years old, accounted for 45,1% of streams on Spotify’s global weekly Top 200 in the first nine months of 2026. Newer music’s share fell to 54,9%, after exceeding 70% in both 2024 and 2025.
Catalog gains as newer releases decline
The analysis covers every weekly chart entry across the first 39 weeks of the year, from December 26, 2025 to September 24, 2026: 7.800 positions each for the US and global charts.
Using the catalog definition in Universal Music Group’s annual report, it found:
- Global catalog streams rose 49,3% year over year to 44.480 million, while newer-release streams fell 24,8% to 54.150 million.
- US catalog streams increased 39,2% to 10.900 million, lifting their share from 28,4% in 2025 to 42,6%. Newer-release streams declined 25,4% to 14.710 million.
- Catalog songs occupied an average of 96 weekly US chart positions, up from 71 a year earlier, and 99 global positions, up from 72.
Decade-old songs drive the increase
Songs at least a decade old contributed 98% of catalog growth in the US and 83% globally. They accounted for 32,4% of global Top 200 streams and 29,7% of US streams, triple their respective shares in 2024.
Bad Bunny led the global chart with 4.570 million streams, ahead of Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and BTS. The Puerto Rican artist began the year with his Super Bowl LX performance.
Michael Jackson ranked fifth with 15 songs and 3.020 million streams, all from tracks released between 1979 and 2014.
Sony Music reportedly paid more than 600 million dollars in 2024 for 50% of Jackson’s recorded and publishing catalog. The company has not officially confirmed that figure.
A shorter threshold gives catalog a majority
Applying an 18-month threshold, which Luminate uses to distinguish current music from catalog, puts catalog’s share at 55,4% globally and 53,1% in the US, compared with just over 30% in 2024 and 2025.
The figures also suggest listening is shifting beyond the biggest hits. Total US Top 200 streams fell 7% in 2026, while Luminate recorded first-half growth in on-demand audio streams of 4,8% in the US and 9,8% worldwide.
What the chart data leaves out
The analysis covers only Spotify, which has 777 million monthly active users and 300 million subscribers. It counts only chart-eligible streams, understood to be subject to per-listener limits within each 24-hour period.
Its focus on individual hits also leaves out artists whose listening is concentrated in full albums, such as Rosalía.
Excluding Taylor Swift, catalog’s share would rise to 43,1% in the US and 45,6% globally.
Separately, Spain’s recorded-music market grew 11,6% in the first half, driven by subscriptions, according to Promusicae.
