Spotify reveals that Israelis love Israeli music

Israelis prefer Omer Adam to Drake and Eurovision entry 'Toy' is locally one of the most popular songs.

Israel's 2018 Eurovision entrant Netta Barzila (photo credit: COURTESY KESHET)
Israel's 2018 Eurovision entrant Netta Barzila
(photo credit: COURTESY KESHET)
It’s been just over a month since streaming giant Spotify launched in Israel. And even with the ability to listen to 35 million songs from across the world at the push of a button, Israelis have proven they still really love Israeli music.
In statistics on the local market released on Sunday, Spotify said that the most popular artist among Israeli listeners was local favorite Omer Adam. Second on the list was rapper Drake, then Kendrick Lamar, XXXTENTA CION and then Ed Sheeran. Adam was the only Israeli to appear in the top 10 list, and in the top slot no less.
Spotify would not say how many Israelis have signed up for its streaming service since it launched in March. The company offers a free option, with ads and some limitations, or a premium service for NIS 19.90.
Spotify Launch Israel (Credit: Spotify/YouTube)
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“We’ve been impressed with the quick pace of adoption by the Israeli audience,” said Veronica Diquattro, Spotify’s director of southern and eastern Europe. “We have been getting positive feedback from audiences of all ages who were awaiting our entry into Israel.”
When it came to individual songs, Drake edged out Adam, as his song “God’s Plan” was the most listened to by Israelis in the past month. And second place overall went to “Toy” by Netta Barzilai, Israel’s entry to the upcoming Eurovision competition. Third was “IDGAF” by Dua Lipa, while fourth was Adam’s recent hit “Shnei Meshugaim” (Two Crazy People).
According to Spotify, Israelis spent a great deal of time using the app to stream music: 2.3 million hours’ worth in just the first three weeks of operation alone. The company said 57% of its Israeli users are between the ages of 13 and 34, and 39% of them are based in Tel Aviv.