With French-language content traveling more than ever, Spotify is today revealing its 2025 Francophone Report: a unique look at the listening dynamics shaping French-language cultural influence around the world. Driven by sustained growth in listening to French-language music, podcasts, and audiobooks, including outside French-speaking countries*, this report highlights the central role of playlists in the discovery and dissemination of this content. By combining local and international data, Spotify is establishing itself more than ever as the essential expert in audio usage and a key player in French-language cultural export.
Gustav Gyllenhammar, Vice President of Markets and Subscription at Spotify :“It’s incredible to see the power of our platform connecting over 100 million fans around the world with French-language content. This is more than just a musical trend; it’s a testament to our ability to deliver creativity and drive discovery around the world. We’re seeing French-language content listening explode in markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America—phenomenal proof of Spotify’s universal power to bridge the gap and empower artists and creators to find their audiences, wherever they are. Spotify gives audio creators from all walks of life, from Quebec to West Africa, a global stage—and we’ll continue to help them grow their global audiences on our platform.”
The international influence of French-speaking music
French-language music has never crossed borders so much. In 2024, more than 123 million users worldwide listened to French audio content, whether music, podcasts or audiobooks, including more than 100 million outside of historically French-speaking countries (France, Quebec, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland). Each month, more than 64 million hours of music sung in French resonate across the globe, driven by continued growth in usage: between 2023 and 2024, the number of adds of French-speaking titles or artists to personal playlists increased by 26%, and this dynamic is constant with an average annual increase of 25% since 2020. Since 2019, listening to French-language music has recorded a 192% increase on Spotify. This influence is part of global cultural habits: peak listening times for songs performed in French are at 5 p.m., local time, and November 29 was the day in 2024 when French-language content was most listened to outside of France and its French-speaking neighbors*. A peak in listening driven by the international success of the title Ma meilleure enemie from Belgian Stromae in duet with French artist Pomme, which allowed the duo to enter Spotify history by becoming the most listened-to French-language song in 24 hours on the platform with nearly 6 million streams. The track even subsequently climbed into the top charts worldwide, in second place, for around ten days, breaking a second record on Spotify. Among the tracks that thrill international listeners, Ramenez la coupe à la maison which established itself as a viral anthem well beyond France. Inside, the singer No creates surprise by rising to 7th place of French-speaking listening, while in the United States and Mexico, the voice of Edith Piaf still resonates in the Top 10, the legend of French song continues to seduce, enshrined as a timeless classic. So much proof that French-language music touches, unites and travels, carried by Spotify to the four corners of the world.
French diversity
Behind the global success of French-language music lies a wealth of styles and emotions that transcend borders. Whether they are fans of rap, electro-pop, R&B, or variety, listeners around the world are swept away by melodies performed in French. Today, we can hear Dernière danse play in São Paulo, Casanova makes playlists in Cairo, or even Je te laisserai des mots touching hearts in Seoul. Powerful voices like those of Stromae, GIMS, the Queen of France Aya Nakamura or even Indila are establishing themselves alongside more emerging talents such as Yam, whose title Bécane has gone viral. This musical diversity, driven by artists from all walks of life, makes the French language a field of expression as vast as it is universal. On Spotify, this dynamic is reflected in usage: French-language tracks are increasingly naturally integrated into its users’ playlists, regardless of country or language, revealing a deep emotional connection with a scene that transcends codes and borders.
Most listened to French-speaking artists on the platform worldwide:
Most listened to French-language titles on the platform worldwide:
- Je te laisserai des mots – Patrick Watson
- Ma Meilleure Ennemie – From The Series “Arcane League of Legends”– Arcane, League of Legends, Pomme, Stromae
- Dernière danse – Indila
- Alors on danse – Radio Edit – Stromae
- Est-ce que tu m’aimes ? – Pilule bleue– GIMS
- Bécane – A COLORS SHOW – Yamê
- Comptine d’un autre été, l’après-midi – Yann Tiersen
- Casanova – Gazo, Soolking
- Formidable – Stromae
- Papaoutai – Stromae
Most listened to French-speaking artists by region of the world:
| In North America: | In South Africa, Middle East and Asia: |
| Patrick Watson Stromae Pomme Indila GIMS | GIMS Jul Indila Tayc Soolking |
| In Asia-Pacific : | And Europe : | In Latin America: |
| Indila GIMS Stromae Patrick Watson Aya Nakamura | Jul GIMS Stromae Soolking PNL | Stromae Patrick Watson Indila Pomme Videoclub |
When French-speaking musical creation from Africa shines internationally
From the neighborhoods of Abidjan to the stages of Paris, from the studios of Bamako to playlists around the world, the music of French-speaking Africa crosses borders with a quiet force. Thanks to the energy of a constantly evolving music scene, French-speaking African content is opening up to new audiences, propelled by talents who navigate between local heritage and global influences. Their voices tell stories of love, resilience, and celebration, and resonate in Montreal, Brussels, and São Paulo. At their side, a new generation, embodied by Didi B, BAD NOVA and Jeune Lion, shakes up the codes with its rap sounds, while established figures like Tiken Jah Fakoly, Amadou & Mariam and Sidiki Diabaté breathe life into their traditions. Between Afro-pop, reggae, rap, and Mandingo rhythms, these artists, among the most added to users’ playlists in 2024, weave a vibrant bridge between continents and generations, confirming the vitality and creativity of a booming scene on Spotify.
| Export of artists from the French-speaking African music scene: |
| Magic System Vieux Farka Touré Amadou & Mariam Sidiki Diabaté Jeune Lion |
French is heard all over the world
While the sounds of French-language music are captivating the world, podcasts have also found attentive ears. French-language podcasts have seen their listening explode by 1,888% since 2019, proving that the French language has no borders. Today, listeners from all over the world connect from the morning, especially between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., to listen to French-speaking voices. At the top of the listening charts outside French-speaking areas*, The GOAT and LEGEND, Guillaume Pley’s conversational podcast, appeals with its direct tone and iconic guests. Alongside them, educational formats like InnerFrench, Little Talk in Slow French or Easy French are a great success with those who want to learn or improve their French. Voices like those of L’Heure du Monde, Canapé Six Places, HugoDecrypts or even Rock & Pop Stories feed the curiosity of listeners around the world with content on current affairs, society or pop culture. On average, the French-speaking podcast lasts more than 4 hours per month of listening time by non-French speakers, a constantly increasing figure, which reflects a genuine curiosity for stories and voices from the French-speaking world.
The top 10 most listened to French-language podcasts around the world:
- The Goat
- LEGEND
- Little Talk in Slow French
- L’Heure du Monde
- InnerFrench
- Easy French: Learn French through authentic conversations | Conversations authentiques pour apprendre le français
- Canapé Six Places
- Le français avec Fluidité
- HugoDécrypte – Actus et interviews
- Rock & Pop Stories
When the French language is heard in stories
French audiobooks are only just beginning their journey on Spotify – but the first figures are already telling. Launched in October 2024 in France, Audiobooks quickly found their audience, driven both by the curiosity of the listeners and the diversity of the works offered. Whether it be great classics like 1984, immersive stories like Jacaranda, particularly popular in Europe and Latin America, or content designed to support learning French, French-language audio is gradually finding its place in listening habits. While most listening is currently concentrated in a few key markets, the trend is spreading: each month, nearly 12,000 hours of French audiobooks are listened to in countries where French is not the primary language. This format already attracts several hundred thousand listeners around the world, fuelled by the richness of the stories told and the musicality of a language that is listened to as much as it is read.
Quebec’s undisputed place in the export of the Francophonie
Quebec plays a key role in this global craze for French-language content. With nearly half of Quebec users (49%) regularly listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks in French, the province stands out as a pillar of the digital Francophonie. Spotify supports this cultural vitality by promoting local talent and amplifying their reach well beyond Quebec’s borders. The global success of the French-language scene also relies on Quebec artists, whose musical richness appeals both nationally and internationally. Figures like Les Cowboys Fringants, Patrick Watson, Charlotte Cardin And Enima dominate the charts in Quebec, and titles like Je te laisserai des mots reach the top of playlist additions in markets as far away as the United States and the Netherlands. Je te laisserai des mots of Patrick Watson has been added to over 6.6 million playlists worldwide in 2024 – proof of the global reach of Quebec music. In Canada, 5 of the 10 most listened to French-language audiobooks in North America are from Quebec authors, such as Aliss, Hell.com and Mafia Inc. This success testifies to the literary wealth of Quebec and the growing interest in its stories on Spotify.