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Spotify launched in Pakistan in 2021. Five years later, its April 21, 2026 anniversary report says listenership has grown by more than 750%, streams of Pakistani artists have increased more than sevenfold, and users have created over 15 million playlists. The report highlights popular artists and defining songs—but it does not publish a complete, numbered ranking of Pakistan’s most-played singers.
What changed in Spotify’s five years in Pakistan?
Spotify’s five-year figures describe a broader listening and discovery trend, rather than a single chart. According to the company’s April 21, 2026 anniversary report:
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- Listenership in Pakistan grew by more than 750% since the platform launched in 2021.
- Users created more than 15 million playlists.
- Listeners streamed more than 140 artists per year on average.
- Streams of Pakistani artists grew more than sevenfold since 2021.
- The number of Pakistani artists on Spotify increased by nearly 75% over the five-year period.
These are Spotify-reported aggregate figures. The anniversary report does not disclose the methodology for every measure, so they should be read as the company’s account of its service rather than as an independently audited market census.
Who are the most-played singers in Pakistan on Spotify?
There is no single definitive answer in Spotify’s five-year report: it names a group of highlighted artists without giving them numbered positions. That group spans newer and established performers, including Talha Anjum, Umair, Hasan Raheem, Atif Aslam, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
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A separate Spotify ranking offers a more specific answer, but only for one age group and measurement period. In its 2023 analysis of listeners aged 16–27 in Pakistan, Talha Anjum was the top local artist, followed by Atif Aslam and Abdul Hannan. For global artists listened to by that cohort, Arijit Singh led, followed by Pritam, Taylor Swift, Shubh, and AP Dhillon. Spotify measured listening from July 2 to August 2, 2023; this is not an all-age, all-time ranking.
The distinction matters: a highlighted artist group, a youth-cohort ranking, monthly listeners, and total streams describe different things. None should be treated as interchangeable evidence of one universal “most played” title.
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Which songs and playlists stood out?
Spotify’s 2026 anniversary report describes “Jhol,” “Pal Pal,” “Wishes,” “Bikhra,” and “Maand” as defining songs of Pakistan’s streaming era. It does not present these titles as a ranked top five.
Spotify’s 2023 age-group data gives a more precise comparison among local tracks:
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| Listener cohort | Most-streamed local tracks, in order |
|---|---|
| Ages 16–20 | “Lagda Nahi,” “Bikhra,” “Iraaday” |
| Ages 21–27 | “Iraaday,” “Bikhra,” “Lagda Nahi” |
Playlist choices also show both shared tastes and differences between age groups. In the 2023 analysis, Gen Z’s most-streamed local playlists included Hot Hits Pakistan, Shaadi Hits, and Desi Hits. Millennials also favored Hot Hits Pakistan and Shaadi Hits, with Pakka Hit Hai in third place.
Why are classic Pakistani singers reaching new listeners?
Contemporary streaming has not displaced the older catalogue. Spotify’s ICON Pakistan program, launched in September 2024, spotlights artists whose work spans the 1950s through the 2000s through curated playlists, exclusive video, media partnerships, and social campaigns. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was its first honoree.
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Spotify reported that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had more than 5.8 million monthly listeners in 2024, that his streams had risen 26% year over year, and that almost 60% of his listeners were Gen Z. The company also said his music had accumulated more than 800 million streams worldwide. His three top-streamed tracks named in the ICON coverage were “Mere Rashke Qamar,” “Sochta Houn,” and “Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai.”
Spotify’s 2024 reporting also recorded year-over-year increases for other legacy artists: streams of Mehdi Hassan rose 142%, Noor Jehan’s active listeners rose 66%, and Ghulam Ali’s annual streams rose 82%. Sajjad Ali and Hadiqa Kiani each saw a 75% listener increase; Noori and Mustafa Zahid each recorded a 75% increase in listener base. These are distinct metrics and should not be read as a direct ranking against one another.
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- Google Play gift cards can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
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The ICON program’s broader featured names include Abida Parveen, Nazia Hassan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Atif Aslam, alongside the artists above. Spotify’s framing is that streaming can put music from earlier generations in front of younger listeners while creating opportunities for collaboration with contemporary musicians.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the figures do—and do not—show
- They show growth and discovery. Spotify reports a larger Pakistan audience, more playlists, and more listening to Pakistani artists over five years.
- They do not establish a complete five-year leaderboard. Spotify’s 2026 anniversary article does not publish a numbered all-user ranking of artists or songs.
- Rankings depend on scope. The 2023 artist and track rankings apply to specified age cohorts and listening dates, while the 2024 legacy figures measure different outcomes.
For a playlist collecting songs Spotify associates with the milestone, listen to Spotify’s Made in Pakistan playlist.
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