YouTube’s New Year-End Recap Experience

YouTube is a leading American online video-sharing platform founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen, former PayPal employees. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, it is owned by Alphabet (Google) since its acquisition in November 2006 for $1.65 billion. Today, YouTube ranks as the second-most-visited website globally, behind Google, with over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of January 2024[1]. The platform allows users to upload, share, and view videos across a vast range of categories including entertainment, education, news, and more. It has evolved from hosting simple user-generated videos to becoming a cultural powerhouse where creators produce professional-grade content, including talk shows, feature films, and music videos[2]. In the U.S., TV has surpassed mobile devices as the primary screen for YouTube viewing, reflecting its integration into mainstream entertainment[2]. YouTube's business model initially relied on advertising revenue but has expanded to include paid content, YouTube Premium subscriptions that offer ad-free viewing, and exclusive content. In 2023, YouTube generated $31.7 billion in advertising revenue, with combined ad and subscription revenue exceeding $50 billion from late 2023 to 2024[1]. The platform has paid creators over $100 billion worldwide in the past four years, underscoring its role as a major economic engine for content creators and media companies[3]. Technological innovation remains central to YouTube’s growth. Recent advances include AI-powered tools for creators, such as automatic language dubbing introduced in December 2024, and integration of Google DeepMind’s AI features to simplify video editing and enhance Shorts content creation[1][3]. YouTube also launched Playables—free-to-play games accessible directly on the platform—in mid-2024, diversifying user engagement[1]. Marking its 20th anniversary in 2025, YouTube

Spotify, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, with more than 696 million monthly active users and 276 million subscribers across over 180 markets as of mid-2025[1][2]. The company revolutionized music consumption by shifting the industry from a transaction-based model (buying albums or tracks) to an access-based, on-demand streaming platform[3]. Today, Spotify offers over 100 million music tracks, nearly 7 million podcast titles, and 350,000 audiobooks, positioning itself as a comprehensive hub for digital audio content[2][3]. ## History and Evolution Since its launch, Spotify has consistently innovated, first by making music streaming mainstream and then by expanding into podcasts and, in 2022, audiobooks[2][3]. This diversification has allowed Spotify to attract a broader audience and reduce reliance on music licensing, a historically challenging area for profitability. The company’s mission is to “unlock the potential of human creativity,” aiming to enable a million artists to make a living from their art while providing billions of fans with access to a vast array of audio content[2][3]. ## Key Achievements Spotify’s growth has been remarkable: in 2024, it paid out a record $10 billion to the music industry, bringing its total payouts since inception to nearly $60 billion[6]. The platform has democratized music distribution, enabling over 10,000 artists to earn more than $100,000 annually from Spotify alone—a significant increase from just 10,000 artists earning $10,000 annually a decade ago[6]. Spotify now accounts for about a third of global recorded streaming revenue and over half of independent labels’ streaming revenue, underscoring its pivotal role in the music ecosystem[6]. ## Current Status and Strategy Financially, Spotify reported €4.2 billion in revenue for Q2