Music director Anirudh Ravichander has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify, crossing 12 billion streams across 772 tracks.

With this, Anirudh surpasses the legendary AR Rahman, who stands at 11.24 billion streams across 1009 tracks. On the worldwide Spotify artist rankings, Anirudh currently holds the 198th position, while Rahman stands at 234th — a remarkable achievement for South Indian music on the global stage.

Several other South Indian artists have also joined the billion-stream club, with noteworthy feats. Sid Sriram (4.3B) and Chinmayi (2.7B) have achieved massive streaming numbers despite relatively fewer credits — 214 and 205 tracks, respectively. Similarly, Harris Jayaraj (3.1B) stands tall with only 263 tracks, proving the consistent popularity of their discographies.

Legends like Shankar Mahadevan (3.9B), Yuvan Shankar Raja (3.8B), SP Balasubrahmanyam (3.6B), GV Prakash (2.9B) and Hariharan (2.8B) complete the list, showing the diverse influence of South Indian music across generations.

Top 10 Streamed South Indian Artists on Spotify (as of Sep 22, 2025)

1. Anirudh Ravichander – 12.0B (772 tracks) – World Rank #198

2. AR Rahman – 11.24B (1009 tracks) – World Rank #234

3. Sid Sriram – 4.3 B (214 tracks)

4. Shankar Mahadevan – 3.9B (547 tracks)

5. Yuvan Shankar Raja – 3.8B (415 tracks)

6. SP Balasubrahmanyam – 3.6B (959 tracks)

7. Harris Jayaraj – 3.1B (263 tracks)

8. GV Prakash – 2.9B (374 tracks)

9. Hariharan – 2.8B (448 tracks)

10. Chinmayi – 2.7B (205 tracks)

Other Notable South Indian Artists on Spotify

• Karthik – 2.6B

• Devi Sri Prasad – 2.5B

• Dhanush – 2.5B

• Thaman S – 2.4B

• Santhosh Narayanan – 2.4B

• K. S. Chithra – 2.2B

• Ilaiyaraaja - 1.89 B

• S. Janaki – 1.4B

• Vidyasagar – 1.3B

• Pradeep Kumar – 1.3B

• Shweta Mohan – 1.3B

• Shakthisree Gopalan – 1.2B

• Sushin Shyam – 1.17B

These numbers highlight how not just mainstream composers but also singers, actor-musicians, and indie artists are reaching billions of listeners on the platform.

Lyricists on Spotify

Interestingly, lyricists too are enjoying massive streaming numbers as credited contributors:

• Vairamuthu – 2.9B

• Na. Muthukumar – 2.5B

• Thamarai – 1.69B

• Vaali - 1.69 B

Top 5 Indian Artists on Spotify (Worldwide Rankings & Streams)

1. Arijit Singh – Rank #46 – 29B streams

2. Pritam – Rank #74 – 22B streams

3. Anirudh Ravichander – Rank #198 – 12B streams

4. Shreya Ghoshal – Rank #214 – 11.7B streams

5. AR Rahman – Rank #234 – 11.24B streams

This comprehensive list proves that South Indian music is not only thriving regionally but also shaping India’s presence in the global music scene. With Anirudh leading the way, and veterans plus new voices crossing billions of plays, the South Indian music ecosystem is stronger than ever in the streaming era.