Spotify is making its biggest Partner Program market expansion yet
Spotify announced on September 17, 2026 that the Spotify Partner Program is expanding to more than 35 new markets. The company’s current support table identifies 37 additional markets where the Partner Program and Premium video revenue will become available on October 20.
The expansion matters because the Partner Program combines several monetization paths rather than offering only one advertising product. Spotify describes the program as providing:
- ad revenue from ads Spotify monetizes in eligible episodes
- Premium video revenue based on qualifying viewing by Spotify Premium users
- support for embedded sponsorships, with Spotify saying creators keep 100% of the revenue from those creator-sold sponsorships
Spotify says total monthly payouts to enrolled shows have increased by more than a third since it lowered the eligibility thresholds earlier in 2026, while participating video shows have experienced more than 45% average growth in consumption hours since the program launched.
Announcement: Spotify Newsroom — The Spotify Partner Program Expands to More Than 35 New Markets.
What exactly starts on October 20, 2026?
Spotify’s support documentation gives the precise date: the Spotify Partner Program and Premium video revenue become available in the newly listed markets on October 20, 2026.
That does not mean every podcast in Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Spain or the other new markets begins earning automatically on October 20.
A creator still needs to:
- Have a show that meets Spotify’s application criteria.
- Confirm location and creator/business status in Spotify for Creators.
- Apply from the Monetize page once eligible.
- Accept the Spotify Partner Program Terms.
- Pass Spotify’s monetization-policy review.
- Complete Spotify Payouts setup.
Spotify explicitly says a creator cannot start earning until the payment-details step is complete.
All 37 new Spotify Partner Program markets
| Region | New markets |
|---|---|
| Europe | Andorra, Italy, Malta, Poland, San Marino, Spain |
| North America, Caribbean and Central America | Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago |
| South America | Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay |
Spotify notes that eligible-market lists can change over time, so creators should recheck the live support page before making business decisions based on country access.
Country table: Spotify Partner Program support page.
Spotify Partner Program eligibility requirements
For a show to apply through Spotify for Creators, Spotify currently requires all of the following:
| Requirement | Current threshold |
|---|---|
| Hosting | Host the show on Spotify for Creators. |
| Location | Have a legal address in an eligible market. |
| Published catalog | At least 3 published episodes. |
| Consumption | At least 2,000 consumption hours on Spotify in the last 30 days. |
| Audience | At least 1,000 audience count on Spotify in the last 30 days. |
Meeting those numbers makes the show eligible to apply. It does not guarantee acceptance. Spotify reviews the content against its Partner Program monetization policies.
Spotify can also change eligibility criteria, so the live Monetize page should be treated as the final account-specific status.
Eligibility: Spotify Partner Program and Spotify for Creators monetization options.
What counts as a Spotify Partner Program stream?
Spotify distinguishes a Partner Program stream from a simple play.
For Partner Program eligibility and revenue measurement, Spotify says a stream counts when a listener or viewer on Spotify streams an episode or video for 60 seconds or more.
That means opening an episode and leaving almost immediately does not count the same way as a qualifying stream for this program.
Do not confuse the threshold with follower count. Spotify’s eligibility criteria use 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience count in the last 30 days, not a requirement for 1,000 podcast followers.
Stream definition: Spotify Partner Program support.
How to apply once your market opens
- Open Spotify for Creators.
- Go to the Monetize page.
- Confirm your location and whether you are applying as a business or individual.
- Review the eligibility progress shown for your show.
- Once eligible, select Apply now.
- Accept the Spotify Partner Program Terms.
- Wait for Spotify’s monetization-policy review.
- If approved, complete any required verification and set up Spotify Payouts.
Spotify says 2-step verification becomes required if you earn $1,000 USD or more in one month. If you do not enable it within 30 days after reaching that threshold, payouts can be placed on hold while earnings continue to accrue.
How Spotify Partner Program ad revenue works
Spotify says creators earn a 50% share of the revenue recognized by Spotify every time an ad monetized by Spotify as part of the Partner Program plays in their episodes, both on and off Spotify.
To earn ad revenue from an episode, you need to insert at least one ad break. Spotify for Creators can then deliver targeted ads when the episode is streamed on Spotify or downloaded through another podcast listening platform.
Ads are not guaranteed to play on every eligible listen. Spotify says ad availability can depend on advertiser demand and the listener demographics advertisers want to reach.
The 50% figure applies to recognized revenue from Spotify-monetized ads, not to every sponsorship a creator sells independently.
Ad revenue: Spotify Partner Program and Partner Program analytics.
How Premium video revenue works
Premium video revenue applies when Spotify Premium members in eligible markets watch qualifying video episodes.
For those streams, Spotify removes dynamic ads from the Premium viewing experience and pays the creator based on qualifying consumption rather than ad plays.
Spotify says its Premium video revenue formula is proprietary and can consider factors such as:
- qualifying consumption time on eligible video episodes
- the registration market of the Premium user
- the number of qualifying Premium users
- overall eligible video consumption in participating markets
There is one easily missed rule: a video episode still needs at least one ad break inserted to qualify for Premium video revenue, even though dynamic ads are removed for qualifying Premium viewers.
Audio/non-video episodes can still earn ad revenue where Spotify-delivered ads play, but Premium video revenue is specifically tied to qualifying video consumption.
Some new markets will join even though Spotify ads are not served locally yet
Country eligibility for the Partner Program does not mean Spotify currently serves creator ads to listeners inside every one of those countries.
Spotify says ads on Spotify for Creators are not currently served to listeners in the following newly added October 20 markets:
Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Malta, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
Creators in those markets can still earn Premium video revenue. Spotify also says they can earn ad revenue when Spotify-delivered ads are inserted into their content and that content is consumed in places where those ads are available.
Example: a creator living in Jamaica can become eligible when the program launches there, even though Spotify says ads are not currently served to listeners inside Jamaica. Premium video revenue and qualifying ad consumption elsewhere can still generate earnings.
Local ad-serving caveat: Spotify support.
Spotify Payouts must be completed before earnings begin
Approval is not the final onboarding step. Spotify directs approved creators to configure bank/payment details through Spotify Payouts, and says you cannot start earning through the program until that setup is completed.
Spotify’s payout documentation says there is a 30-day onboarding period before the first payout becomes eligible. After that period, payouts are typically processed during the last two working weeks of each month.
For ongoing payouts, Spotify says the current balance generally needs to be at least $10 after applicable fees and taxes for a monthly payout to be processed.
Payout timing: Spotify Payouts.
You also need to stay active after joining
Spotify has an ongoing activity rule that is easy to miss.
To continue participating in the Partner Program through Spotify for Creators, Spotify says a show must, during any given six-month period:
- publish at least one episode, and
- earn at least $10.
This ongoing requirement is separate from the original 30-day application thresholds.
If a creator pauses the Spotify Partner Program, ads and Premium video revenue stop. Spotify notes that a long pause can also cause a show to stop meeting its continuing-eligibility rules.
Do you have to host your podcast on Spotify for Creators?
Spotify’s standard application criteria say the show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators to apply through Spotify for Creators.
There are two caveats:
- Creators using Megaphone, Spotify’s enterprise podcasting solution, are told to contact their representative to determine organization eligibility.
- If the show uses another hosting platform, Spotify says to contact that hosting provider to find out whether it supports access to the Partner Program.
So an externally hosted creator should not assume either automatic exclusion or automatic access. The normal Spotify for Creators application path requires Spotify hosting, while provider-specific access can differ.
Is Nigeria included in the October 20 expansion?
No. Nigeria does not appear in Spotify’s current October 20, 2026 Partner Program expansion table.
That is separate from whether Spotify itself is available for listening in Nigeria. The Partner Program has its own eligible-market list, and Spotify says a creator applying through Spotify for Creators must have a legal address in an eligible market.
A creator should not use an inaccurate legal address simply to access monetization. Spotify’s onboarding requires location confirmation, payment setup and compliance with the program terms.
If Spotify adds Nigeria later, the live Partner Program support page will be the most reliable place to confirm the change.
Common questions about the October 2026 expansion
Is Brazil included?
Yes. Spotify lists Brazil among the markets where the Partner Program and Premium video revenue become available on October 20, 2026.
Is Mexico included?
Yes. Mexico is in the October 20 expansion.
Are Spain and Italy included?
Yes. Both Spain and Italy are part of the new European expansion.
Does everyone in a new country start earning on October 20?
No. The date opens availability. Each show still has to meet the eligibility thresholds, apply, pass review and complete payout setup.
Do audio podcasts qualify?
The Partner Program includes ad monetization for eligible episodes. Premium video revenue is specifically tied to qualifying video episodes watched by eligible Premium users.
How many episodes do I need?
At least three published episodes under Spotify’s current application criteria.
How many listeners do I need?
Spotify’s current requirement is at least 1,000 audience count on Spotify in the previous 30 days, plus at least 2,000 consumption hours in the same 30-day period.
Does a 10-second play count as a Partner Program stream?
No. Spotify says a stream for this program counts when a listener or viewer streams an episode or video for at least 60 seconds.
Do creators receive 50% of all sponsorship revenue?
No. The 50% split applies to revenue recognized from ads monetized by Spotify through the Partner Program. Spotify says creators keep 100% of the revenue from their own embedded sponsorships.
Does every video view pay the same amount?
No. Spotify says Premium video revenue is calculated using a proprietary formula that considers several factors, including qualifying consumption and market.
What creators in the new markets should do before October 20
- Confirm your country appears in Spotify’s October 20 table.
- Make sure the legal address on your creator/payment setup is accurate.
- Publish at least three episodes.
- Track your last-30-day consumption hours toward 2,000.
- Track your Spotify audience count toward 1,000.
- If you publish video, add at least one ad break to episodes you want eligible for Premium video revenue.
- Check whether Spotify ads are served locally in your market. If not, understand that Premium video revenue and qualifying ad consumption elsewhere can still matter.
- Open the Monetize page on or after availability reaches your market.
- Apply, complete Spotify’s review and finish Spotify Payouts before expecting earnings.
- After joining, remain active enough to satisfy the six-month episode and $10 rule.
BeeVaults takeaway: October 20 is a major geographic expansion, but the real qualification test is still show-level performance. A creator needs an eligible legal address, three episodes, 2,000 Spotify consumption hours and 1,000 audience count in the previous 30 days, followed by approval and payout setup. The 37-country expansion makes the opportunity available to far more creators, but it does not remove Spotify’s performance and policy gates.