Spotify Q2 Outlook Disappoints, Stock Slides 6% on Lower Profit and Subscriber Forecasts

Gate News message, April 28 — Spotify shares fell about 6% in premarket trading after the streaming giant issued second-quarter guidance below analyst expectations, forecasting operating income of 630 million euros ($738 million) and 299 million premium subscribers.

Analysts had estimated Q2 operating income of 684 million euros ($801 million) and 302 million premium subscribers. Revenue guidance of 4.8 billion euros ($5.62 billion) came near estimates of 4.8 billion euros ($5.59 billion), while monthly active user guidance of 778 million beat forecasts of 773 million. In Q1, Spotify reported 715 million euros ($837 million) in operating income on 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) in revenue with 293 million premium subscribers.

The softer profit outlook reflects higher marketing spend for new features and increased research and development investment in longer-term AI initiatives. Management expects premium subscriber gains to concentrate in the second half of the year, with more net additions expected later than in the current quarter.

Spotify is pursuing a growth strategy centered on AI efficiency gains while maintaining a relatively flat headcount. The company reported that computing capacity per employee has increased and productivity measures are doubling, suggesting the platform can scale through automation and AI tools rather than proportional hiring growth.