Swedish composer tops Spotify charts incognito

Johan Röhr’s 2,700 songs have garnered 15 billion streams, surpassing Britney Spears and Abba in plays

A “secret” composer who has released music under hundreds of different names has been revealed as Sweden’s most-listened-to artist on Spotify. Johan Röhr, based in Stockholm, has amassed more plays than Britney Spears or Abba, with his music under various aliases garnering 15 billion streams. According to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN), which uncovered the 47-year-old’s identity, Röhr has produced over 2,700 songs on the platform, using names such as “Maya Åström,” “Minik Knudsen,” “Mingmei Hsueh,” and “Csizmazia Etel.”

According to the newspaper, Röhr’s success across his various identities places him among Spotify’s top 100 most-streamed artists worldwide, surpassing the likes of Michael Jackson, Metallica, and Mariah Carey.

A significant factor in his success is his inclusion in over 100 of Spotify’s official instrumental playlists, curated by the company itself. Playlists with names like “peaceful piano” or “stress relief” are especially popular among users looking for background music while working, dining, or unwinding. Being featured on these influential playlists can significantly impact a musician’s career.

Last year, Spotify announced a record payout of 90 billion Swedish kronor (£6.7bn) to the music industry. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek expressed pride in the platform’s role in helping new and promising artists achieve sustainable careers in music.

Critics argue that the triumph of a handful of anonymous artists like Röhr, who silently dominate the market, contradicts the company’s pledge to support small, independent musicians, record labels, and composers.

The earnings from Röhr’s deal with Spotify remain undisclosed. However, his private company reportedly generated 32.7 million kronor (£2.4m) in 2022, marking a record year. Röhr chose not to comment to DN and did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment. Nonetheless, Overtone Studios, the record label that released his music, described Röhr as a “pioneer in the mood music genre” and confirmed his use of multiple aliases.

Niklas Brantberg, the CEO of Overtone Studios, stated, “Johan Röhr was the first artist AP Records (now Overtone Studios) worked with. Röhr published music across many different artist profiles and became a pioneer in the mood music space, which is hugely popular today. Many of these are now historical, inactive musical projects, and we have already significantly reduced the number of artist profiles actively publishing music.”

We believe that artists with diverse talents should have the freedom to release music under different artist names, a practice that is common in the industry. This allows them to explore various genres and moods, collaborate with different artists, and express themselves at different stages of their musical careers. Our commitment to a 50/50 royalty split ensures that our extensive roster of artists can earn a living in the industry, unleashing their full creative potential.

Spotify stated that it does not provide details on its agreements with distributors, which are tied to royalties, but artists are allowed to use pseudonyms.

A Spotify spokesperson stated, “There is a rising interest in functional music designed for enhancing daily activities such as relaxation, focus, or studying, and these playlists are curated to meet listeners’ needs. This type of music is typically found in Spotify’s Focus hub, which reduces competition with artists from traditional popular music genres.

“As the demand for functional music for relaxation, focus, or studying has increased, more artists and record labels are creating this type of content. Like all other music on Spotify, this music is licensed from rights holders, and we pay royalties based on our agreements with distributors. While each agreement is unique, we do not disclose specific details, and we do not prevent artists or bands from releasing music under their own names or using various pseudonyms.”