Spotify has set up a velvet-lined VIP section for its most-listened-to podcasters — with Joe Rogan and Audiochucks”Crime junkie” take top honors in the streamer’s first Creator Milestone Awards.
Spotify’s Creator Milestone Award is evaluated quarterly and awarded to podcasters who reach certain thresholds for streaming on the platform. The first group of honorees receive plaques in three tiers based on total lifetime streams globally: Bronze (100 million streams), Silver (250 million streams) and Gold (500 million streams).
The new awards mark the first time Spotify has publicly disclosed streaming numbers for podcasters across the platform, albeit only at the specified threshold levels. In terms of number of listens, music is still the biggest game: Taylor Swift, Spotify’s most streamed artist in 2024, generated more than 26.6 billion streams last year alone. That said, podcast episodes are much longer than the average song track.
The company says the launch of the Creator Milestone Awards is timed to its video product and monetization initiative that launched in early 2025. Starting this month, the Spotify Partner Program (in addition to paying a portion of ad revenue) will pay video podcast creators based on how long time Premium users watch their shows.
Currently, the only two Gold Club members with more than 500 million podcast streams of all time are “The Joe Rogan Experience,” consistently top list podcast on Spotify despite that no longer exclusive to the platformand true-crime fan favorite “Crime Junkie,” hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat.
Silver podcasts (with 250 million plus cumulative streams to date) are “Dateline NBC”; “My Favorite Murder,” with hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark; Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” featuring Big Cat and PFT Commenter; and iHeartPodcast’s “Stuff You Should Know,” hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. The bronze members (over 100 million streams) are “The Diary of a CEO With Steven Bartlett”; SiriusXM’s “Rotten Mango”; Wondery’s “Small Town Murder”; and “Views with David Dobrik & Jason Nash.”
Spotify’s podcast awards are akin to the long-running ones YouTube Creator Awardswhich it distributes to channels when they pass specific subscriber milestones.
Recipients of Spotify’s Creator Milestone Awards will be highlighted in a hub on the platform (available at this link). In addition, they will receive custom plaques marking their achievements as well as “storytelling and marketing opportunities to further highlight their influence and success,” according to the company.
Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat of “Crime Junkie” said in a statement: “Being a part of Spotify’s first launch of the Creator Milestone Awards is such an honor and an exciting moment for us! Reaching millions of listeners and sharing stories – especially those who still need answers – has always been at the heart of what we do.” They said they will be putting their Spotify plaque in the Crime Junkie Clubhouse, which is what they call the area where they now videotape all their episodes. “So keep an eye out for episodes coming out in the near future… you might see something shiny in the background!” said the duo.
Dateline NBC Executive Producer Liz Cole commented, “We’re thrilled that so many Spotify listeners have made Dateline part of their podcast routine. It’s an honor to have our storytellers recognized by the inaugural Creator Milestone Awards.”
Since Spotify entered the podcast business in 2019, more than 1 billion people have listened to a podcast on the platform, the company says. Jordan Newman, Spotify’s head of content partnerships, said the Creator Milestone Awards are “about celebrating the incredible journey of a podcast creator.”
“These awards go beyond the numbers — they’re about recognizing the life, creativity and commitment that make each creator’s story unique,” Newman said. “For the first time, we’re highlighting these achievements publicly, recognizing creators for their impact and sharing their success with the world. This program is an important step in celebrating the great work that podcasters do, and we’re excited to continue supporting them as they are shaping the future of this medium.”
(In the picture above, l. to r.: Joe Rogan; “Crime Junkie” is hosted by Brit Prawat and Ashley Flowers)
