Spotify reports 300 million premium subscribers and forecasts weaker Q3 profit

Spotify announced that its second‑quarter 2026 results set a record with 300 million paying Premium subscribers and 777 million monthly active users. Revenue rose 14 % to €4.78 billion, operating income reached €655 million and gross margin hit a historic 33.4 %. Net income turned positive at €545 million after a loss a year earlier.

For the third quarter the company guided operating income of €670 million, below Wall Street expectations, and revenue of about €5 billion. It expects Premium subscribers to grow to 305 million and MAUs to reach 788 million, but warned that user growth is slowing in its core Europe and North America markets. Shares fell roughly 5 % in pre‑market trading and are down about 16 % year‑to‑date.

Spotify highlighted new AI‑driven features such as Personal Podcasts and the Reserved ticket‑access service, and disclosed a licensing agreement with Merlin for a paid fan‑made cover and remix tool. The company continues to combat a surge of AI‑generated tracks that threaten royalty flows.