It’s been a fab four months for the Fab Four, whose music catalog started gracing streaming services—Spotify, Apple Music, Rhapsody, and more—in December.
Sure, they were late to the streaming game. That doesn’t mean they haven’t won the world over (again). On Spotify alone, the Beatles have been snagging 6.5 million listeners a month, according to stats released from the company today about the band’s first 100 days on the service. That makes them more popular than contemporary pop artists like Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran.
Spotify listeners don’t seem to care that the band doesn’t produce new tracks anymore—they’ve still streamed enough Beatles music to make up 24 million hours, or 2,793 entire years. While the US, UK, Mexico, and Sweden are the countries that stream the Beatles the most in the world, Mexico City stands out as the most enthusiastic single city.
Even more unexpected: 67% of the Beatles’ Spotify listeners are under 35 years old.
The numbers prove that the Beatles’ debut on the relatively new digital platform of streaming, which has reeled in old and new fans alike, was indeed a smart move. It’s also reminiscent of the Beatles’ notorious late-stage arrival on iTunes a few years back, which—when it finally happened—yielded massive profits.
Now, digital downloads on platforms like iTunes have been overtaken by streaming, and the story seems to be repeating. Despite its kinks, streaming looks more and more like the inevitable future of the music industry, and of music profit. Other classic acts who’ve held out, thus far, might be reconsidering right about now.