Spotify doesn’t host live concerts the way Ticketmaster or YouTube does. You won’t find a real-time stream of Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden or Coldplay performing in Berlin on Spotify’s main app. But that doesn’t mean live music is missing from the platform. There’s something else going on - and it’s more subtle, but just as powerful.
What Spotify Actually Offers Instead
Spotify’s live music experience isn’t about broadcasting full concerts. It’s about live sessions - intimate, studio-recorded performances that feel personal and raw. These aren’t ticketed events. They’re not streamed in real time to thousands of viewers. Instead, they’re recorded in controlled environments, often with just a microphone, an instrument, and a small crew. Artists like Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, and Hozier have done them. You can find them under Spotify Live or in artist profiles under Live sections.
These sessions are different from studio albums. They’re stripped down. A song might be played on acoustic guitar instead of with a full band. Vocals might be more emotional, less polished. Sometimes, the artist talks between songs - sharing why they wrote it, what it meant during a tough time. These aren’t marketing stunts. They’re artistic moments meant to connect.
How to Find Them
Open Spotify and search for Spotify Live in the search bar. You’ll see a dedicated playlist called Spotify Live that updates regularly. It’s not huge - maybe 20 to 40 sessions at any given time - but each one is carefully selected. You can also go to an artist’s profile and scroll down. If they’ve done a live session, you’ll see a Live tab right under Popular and Albums.
Some sessions are tied to specific events. For example, Spotify partnered with Lollapalooza in 2023 to record exclusive live sets from artists who played the festival. Those are still available today. Others are part of Spotify Sessions, a long-running series that’s been running since 2015. You can find sessions from indie bands you’ve never heard of, right alongside global superstars.
Why Spotify Doesn’t Stream Full Concerts
There are legal and financial reasons. Streaming a full concert requires rights to the music, the performance, the venue, the broadcast, and sometimes even the audience’s likeness. That’s a web of contracts that’s expensive and messy. Most record labels and artists don’t own all those rights. Live concerts are often owned by promoters, venues, or third-party broadcasters like YouTube or Apple Music.
Spotify’s business model is built on on-demand listening, not live events. They make money when you stream a song, not when you watch a show. So instead of competing with Live Nation or YouTube, they focus on what they do best: music discovery and emotional connection. Live sessions are low-cost, high-impact. They don’t need cameras on every angle or a 10,000-person crowd. Just a great song and a great voice.
What You’re Missing - and What You’re Getting
If you’re hoping to relive a concert you attended or watch a band you love play their full set with pyrotechnics and crowd chants - Spotify won’t give you that. You’ll need YouTube, the artist’s website, or a ticket to the next show.
But if you want to hear a version of your favorite song that no one else has heard - a version that’s slower, softer, or more honest - then Spotify’s live sessions are gold. One fan told me they discovered their favorite artist’s new single because they heard it in a live session before it was released. Another said they cried listening to a stripped-down version of a song they’d heard a hundred times. That’s the power of it.
How Often Do New Sessions Come Out?
New live sessions drop every few weeks. Spotify doesn’t announce them like a concert tour. You have to check. The most active months are March, September, and November - right before major festivals and album releases. Artists often release a live session to build hype before dropping a new album. In 2025, over 120 new sessions were added to the platform. That’s more than double the number from 2022.
Some artists do multiple sessions. Olivia Rodrigo released three in 2024 - one in Los Angeles, one in London, and one in a small studio in Nashville. Each one had a different vibe. One was just her and a piano. Another had a full string section. The third was recorded in the dark, with only a single spotlight.
Can You Watch These on TV or Outside the App?
No. Spotify Live sessions are only available inside the Spotify app - on mobile, desktop, or web. You can’t cast them to a TV through Chromecast or AirPlay. They’re not on YouTube. They’re not on smart TVs unless you’re using the Spotify app on the TV itself. That’s by design. Spotify wants you to stay in the app. They’re not trying to be a video platform. They’re trying to be a music platform.
Some fans are frustrated by this. But if you’re listening with headphones, the sound quality is better than most YouTube streams. The audio is mastered specifically for Spotify’s streaming engine. It’s crisp. It’s clear. It’s designed to make you feel like you’re in the room with the artist.
What’s the Future of Live Music on Spotify?
Spotify has experimented with live audio in the past. In 2021, they launched Spotify Live Audio - a feature that let artists host real-time voice chats with fans. It didn’t catch on. In 2023, they tested a feature called Live Concerts in Brazil, where users could buy tickets to virtual concerts streamed through the app. It worked well for local artists, but never expanded globally.
Right now, Spotify is betting on quality over quantity. They’re not trying to compete with Live Nation or Twitch. They’re trying to give you a reason to listen deeper. A live session isn’t a replacement for a concert. It’s a companion. A memory. A moment you can come back to when you need to feel something real.
Bottom Line
No, you can’t watch a full live concert on Spotify. But if you want to hear music the way it’s meant to be heard - not as a product, but as a feeling - then Spotify’s live sessions are some of the most valuable things on the platform. They’re free. They’re easy to find. And they’re unlike anything else on streaming services.
Next time you’re scrolling, skip the algorithm-driven playlists. Go straight to Spotify Live. You might just hear your new favorite version of a song you thought you knew.
