This is why Apple Music is not publicly displaying streaming numbers

• Apple Music VP Oliver Schusser says the company wants to be artist and music-focused rather than numbers-focused

• Apple Music only gives artists and labels access to the backend and has no intention of publicly displaying the numbers

• The company continues its crackdown on fraudulent streams

At the Variety Entertainment Marketing Summit, which was held on April 22, 2026, in Los Angeles, Schusser explained that Apple Music doesn't publicly display numbers because the company considers it "boring and not interesting" to simply compete on numbers. He said Apple is focused on making great products.

"Just competing on numbers, we think, is boring and not interesting. We want to make great products, that's what we focus on," Schusser said.

He added that Apple's approach stems from a long-standing focus on creativity that has helped it create several products in its entertainment ecosystem, including Shazam, iTunes, and Beats. He said the company prioritised understanding artists rather than turning music into a numbers-driven competition.

While Apple Music doesn't publicly display numbers, the artists and labels still have access to their streaming numbers and data that help them identify their listeners' demographics. Through its app Apple Music for Artists, the company grants backend access to the creators and labels who they believe should have it, rather than making it available for public consumption.

Apple Music also gives users a monthly breakdown of the songs, albums, and artists they consume through the Apple Music Replay, which also provides details of the top songs, albums, and artists on the platform across different countries.

Numbers have always mattered in music. Even before the digital era, commercial success has always been quantified by the reach and volume of records an artist sells. Whether it's vinyls, cassettes, or compact discs, the numbers tell the story of commercial success, reach, and audience acceptance.

In the digital era of music streaming, numbers have become the leading metric for success. Both artists and their fans flaunt their numbers to show their success, reach, and impact in what has become a competition.

Several digital streaming platforms understand that numbers have become a major interest for fans who pay keen attention to the performance of their favourite artists. The public display of numbers on some streaming platforms offers transparency and context to the music and artists shaping the digital era.

While streaming numbers provide context and transparency, they have also led to a rise in streaming manipulation. Streaming platforms are intensifying their crackdown on fake streams, which is robbing the system of credibility and honest artists of royalties.

In response to streaming manipulation, Apple Music has developed high-level intelligent software that can track, analyse, and identify fake streams in real time. Apple said it identified and removed nearly 2 billion fake streams. The company is also creating policies to address the rise of artificial intelligence in music with its new tag, which helps users to identify AI-created songs.