Swedish composer becomes Spotify’s most-famous musician you’ve never heard of

Johan Röhr, a Swedish musician, has secretly created over 2,700 songs under hundreds of pseudonyms, accumulating 15 billion streams on Spotify. This makes him Sweden's most-streamed artist, surpassing even global icons like Britney Spears and Abba. His prolific output, largely consisting of instrumental mood music featured on Spotify's curated playlists, has sparked controversy, with critics arguing it undermines the platform's support for independent artists. While Spotify defends its practices, citing listener demand for this type of music and permitting artists to use pseudonyms, Röhr's success raises questions about transparency and fair competition within the streaming industry. His record label, Overtone Studios, defends his practices.