The latest figures from Spotify show that Joyous Celebration is the most appreciated gospel act in the country.
Spotify has resolved the issue that prevented users worldwide from streaming music.
“All clear – thanks for your patience,” the streaming platform briefly said on social media on Wednesday afternoon.
However, there was no explanation as to why its millions of users couldn’t stream music and podcasts on the platform.
All clear – thanks for your patience. Get in touch with @SpotifyCares if you still need help.
— Spotify Status (@SpotifyStatus) April 16, 2025
Earlier on Wednesday, music lovers were in hysterics as Spotify went down without any communication from the company.
Spotify users couldn’t play any or the entirety of a song, with most complaints about buffering.
It was so bad that some people thought they had run out of data or that something was wrong with their device. Others even assumed that Spotify was hacked, but the platform denied those reports.
ALSO READ: Music lovers panic on social media as Spotify goes down
Spotify acknowledgement
During the outage, Spotify went on X to acknowledge the problem. “We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out,” wrote Spotify on its X account.
Most complaints were from US and European users, but a few South Africans made their grievances known.
According to a report by Spotify earlier this year, it has at least 15 million paying subscribers.
The streaming platform’s VP of Business Affairs and Audiobooks Business, David Kaefer, said the platform’s goal is to reach 1 billion paid subscribers.
“Reaching 1 billion paid subscribers across all streaming services will be a collaborative effort, requiring innovation, strategic partnerships, and a continued focus on delivering exceptional value to music fans worldwide. It’s a goal we’re confident we can achieve together,” he said on the Spotify website.
ALSO READ: Joyous Celebrations hitting the right notes in Sub-Saharan Africa as the most streamed choir [VIDEO]
Joyous Celebration on Spotify
The latest figures from Spotify show that South African gospel collective Joyous Celebration is the most appreciated gospel act in the country.
In the two weeks leading up to Easter, the group was streamed nearly nine million times on Spotify.
Mpumi Mtsweni’s Thath’Indawo (Live) with Spirit Of Praise emerged as the most-streamed gospel track this season.
For three consecutive years, Joyous Celebration has had a lion’s share of the platform’s gospel charts, holding four of the top 10 gospel spots with fan favourites such as Ndenzel’ Uncedo Hymn 377 – Live, Yesu Wena UnguMhlobo – Live, Hallelujah Nkateko (Lihle’s Version) – Live, and Umbhedesho – Live.
Last year, Joyous Celebration was Mzansi’s Gen Z’s most-streamed group, followed by Spirit Of Praise. US contemporary worship music collective Maverick City Music is the third favourite.
South Africans’ appreciation of the genre is reflected in the more than 31 000 gospel playlists they have created.
According to Spotify, this number has remained steady over the past three years.
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