‘Despacito’ Breaks All Time Streaming Record, Sets Important Milestone for Streaming Industry

Louis Fonzi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacitio Remix featuring Justin Bieber has officially broken the all time digital streaming record, with a massive 4.6 billion plays. The song shatters the record previously held by Justin Bieber’s 2015 single “Sorry” at 4.38 billion plays.

The accomplishment shows the significant ways in which streaming service have dominated the music industry in the last few years. Music streaming has become one of the most important ways in which consumers are exposed to music content. This sector of the music industry has imploded, with pioneers and titans like Soundcloud, Spotify, Pandora, and Apple leading to the introduction of similar services in Google, Amazon, etc. The rise of artist lead projects like JAY Z’s Tidal and the end of Taylor Swift’s long standoff with streaming services are important testaments to how artists must embrace the power of these platforms.

A few years ago, the accomplishment of becoming the all time most streamed song may not have been such an important deal, with popularity instead being measured by radio call in requests, etc. Today, there is no denying Soundcloud’s 175 million listeners, or Spotify’s 75 million users, represent a significant portion of the market. Just think, 4.6 billion views. For perspective, consider this:

If every radio in the United States (4,725) played ‘Despacito’ every 30 minutes, (226,800 plays a day) it would take 18,959 straight days to reach the 4.6 billion milestone, instead of the record 180 days (6 months) ‘Despacito’ managed over music streaming services. 

Of the accomplishment, Jesús Lopez, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Latin America & the Iberian Peninsula says, “Streaming has democratized music consumption, it has made Latin music increasingly relevant on the charts and it has amplified our songs and videos to a world stage…. ‘Despacito’ has broken every record thanks to Luis Fonsi’s talent and creativity, which have positioned him as a pillar of Latin music for the past 20 years. I also congratulate Erika Ender, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber for their valuable contributions, as well as the different teams involved in the success of this song.”