What was Spotify's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2018?

Spotify's CAGR from 2018 to September 2026 was 15.1% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Spotify significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Spotify compare to the S&P 500 since 2018?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2018 would be worth approximately $3,301.62 today. Spotify underperformed the S&P 500 by $7.88.

How much of the Spotify gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $2,293.74 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,949.68. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $2,747.83, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Spotify since 2018?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2018, the real purchasing-power value of the Spotify position is approximately $2,536.99 in 2018 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Spotify perform in 2018?

Spotify fell 24% during 2018, from $149.01 on its first trading day to $113.74 at the start of 2019.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Spotify in 2018?

Q: Did Spotify pay dividends?

No. Spotify paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$3,294

+$2,294 profit3.29x15.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $3,302

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,950

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$3,293.74

Total Profit

$2,293.74

Multiplier

3.29x

CAGR

15.1%

Max Drawdown

-74.9%

Inflation-Adjusted

$2,536.99

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2018 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Spotify	$3,293.74	3.29x
S&P 500	$3,301.62	3.30x
Gold	$3,224.25	3.22x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,183.14	1.18x

Dividends

Spotify paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2018

In April 2018, Spotify went public through a direct listing, raising no new money and letting existing shareholders sell shares straight onto the market. techcrunch.com
In 2018, a gallon of gas averaged $2.72, a movie ticket averaged $9.11 and the new iPhone XS started at $999. eia.gov apple.com hollywoodreporter.com
From its first trading day to the end of 2018, Spotify fell 24%, #74 of the 94 investments we track. The best was The Trade Desk (+150%); the worst was Cardano (−94%). Full 2018 results →

$1,000 in Spotify, year by year

Of the 94 investments we track that were available at the start of 2018, Spotify ranks #43 by growth to today — just behind Oracle and ahead of Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). See the full 2018 ranking →

It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2019 and 2023, and has been above it since the start of 2024. Its best January was 2026, at $3,859. Today it's 15% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 8 full years since. It was ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 but has fallen behind it since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Jan 2021 ($2,114) to Dec 2022 ($529.77), a drop of 75%. At its lowest month-end, in Dec 2022, it was worth $529.77.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Apr 3, 2018	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2019	$763	−24%	$956
Start of 2020	$1,018	+33%	$1,257
Start of 2021	$2,087	+105%	$1,489
Start of 2022	$1,639	−21%	$1,916
Start of 2023	$550	−66%	$1,569
Start of 2024	$1,267	+131%	$1,981
Start of 2025	$3,072	+142%	$2,477
Start of 2026	$3,859	+26%	$2,920
Today	$3,294	−15%	$3,302

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

Spotify began trading on April 3, 2018 and closed its first day at $149.01 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 6.71 shares. Spotify runs the world's largest music-streaming service. It listed in April 2018.

Measured from one January to the next, Spotify's best year since then was 2024 (+142%) and its worst was 2022 (−66%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2021 and the start of 2023, the position fell 74% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Spotify at the close of its first trading day (April 3, 2018) would be worth approximately $3,293.74 today — a 3.29x return ($2,293.74 profit) over 8.5 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2018 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2018 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.