Spotify says AI agents will take over chores people want to avoid

Spotify’s latest earnings update was more than a numbers dump. It was also a pitch for why the company thinks it can keep growing even as AI agents spread through software and services. Co-CEO Gustav Söderström made the case bluntly: agents are good at taking care of things people would rather not do, but music and entertainment are different. Nobody wants a bot to “summarize a song.”

That argument landed alongside a solid quarter. Premium subscribers reached 306 million in Q3 2026, up 9% year over year. Monthly active users rose 11% to 788 million. Revenue hit €5.0 billion, gross margin improved to 33.0%, and operating income came in at €672 million. Spotify said gross margin and operating income both beat expectations.

The company is also widening the product surface around listening. Audiobooks are being expanded from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026, with Spotify saying that could put streaming or purchasing books in reach for more than 750 million people. Creator Memberships are rolling out in 34 markets, and the Spotify Partner Program is heading to more than 35 new markets, including Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia.

There’s a very Spotify logic to all of this: keep people inside the app by giving them more reasons to return every day. Co-CEO Alex Norström framed the business as one that keeps compounding, with costs moderating and “more runway ahead.” The company is leaning hard into personalization too, with Taste Profile, managed accounts for families, and Playlist Notes all part of the same push to make Spotify feel more personal, not more automated.