Streaming platforms like Spotify have become an essential part of the music industry. As music lovers, we have access to a vast selection of songs and artists, but how much do these artists get paid for their streams on Spotify?
The question of how much Spotify pays its artists has been a hot topic for many years. While Spotify claims to pay out a significant percentage of its revenue to artists, some artists argue that Spotify pays too little.
In this article, we will explore some real cases of how much artists are earning from their Spotify streams and discuss the various factors that can impact an artist's revenue.
How Much You Can Earn on Spotify As An Artist (Real Case Studies)
If you're an artist, you're probably already aware of the fact that Spotify pays out royalties. But how much can you actually make?
Well, it depends on a few factors: where your audience comes from, if they are free or premium Spotify users, your distribution deal.
But generally speaking, Spotify pays out between $0.003 and $0.0084 per stream. So if 100 people stream one of your songs on Spotify, they've earned you between six and eighty cents!
Now, do you want to discover real case studies and explore the factors that influence an artist's revenue? Wondering about your own potential earnings as an artist? While it varies based on multiple factors, Spotify typically pays between $0.003 and $0.0084 per stream. Join us as we uncover artists' insights into their streaming earnings and give SoundCampaign's royalties calculator a try.
In the meantime, look at some real-world cases that we have prepared.
Case 1: L.Dre
Artist: L.Dre
Streams: 1.5 million (album)
Paid: $4345
Rate: $0.002896 per stream or $2.896 per 1000 streams
Case 2: Generation Lost
Artist: Daniel Inskeep
Streams: 2 million (total)
Paid: $5086
Rate: $0.002543 per stream or $2.543 per 1000 streams
Case 3: Harry Seaton
Artist: Harry Seaton
Streams: 250 000 (total)
Paid: $1194
Rate: $0.004776 per stream or $4.776 per 1000 streams
Case 4: Thijs Nijenhuis
Artist: Thijs Nijenhuis
Streams: 80,000 (total)
Paid: $170
Rate: $0.002125 per stream or $2.125 per 1000 streams
Uppdate: Original article removed by author, however the data was cited here: Complex
Case 5: Born Human
Artist: Erfan Adeshi
Streams: 2 million (total)
Paid: $4000
Rate: $0.002 per stream or $2 per 1000 streams
Case 6: Adameant
Artist: Adameant
Streams: 1.4 million (song)
Paid: $4040
Rate: $0.002885 per stream or $2.885 per 1000 streams
Case 7: Ryan Harris
Artist: Ryan Harris
Streams: 400,000
Paid: $1400
Rate: $0,0035 per stream or $3.5 per 1000 streams
Overall, the cases mentioned above provide valuable insights into how much artists can earn from their Spotify streams. However, it's crucial to consider the various factors that can impact an artist's earnings.
Differences in streaming payouts: Why do some artists earn less?
These real cases show that the amount an artist earns from Spotify streams can vary widely, depending on various factors. Daniel Inskeep and Born Human both totaled 2M streams, but Born Human made $1K less. This is what he had to say about his streaming revenue:
“Ive made 4k so far, I have around 2M total streams. Was expecting 4k per M but which country your streams come from matters a lot. My top 3 countries are Turkey, US, Poland”
So let's take a closer look at the factors that influence streaming revenue:
Listeners' Location
One of the most significant factors is the country in which the streams are generated. Spotify's royalty rates vary by country, with some countries paying higher rates than others. For example, in 2021, Spotify's royalty rate in the United States was $0.0038 per stream, while in India, it was $0.0021 per stream.
Type of subscription
Another factor that can impact an artist's earnings is the type of subscription the listener has. Spotify offers several subscription tiers, including a free version with ads and a premium version that offers ad-free listening and other perks. Artists generally earn less revenue from streams on the free version of Spotify than they do from the premium version. An artist will also earn less from streams played by users on the student plan than users on the individual plan.
Deals and contracts
Finally, it's essential to consider that the revenue an artist receives from their Spotify streams is split between the artist, their record label, distributor, and collaborators. This means that even if an artist earns a significant amount from their streams, they may only receive a portion of that revenue.
How to earn more money from Spotify streams
If you're a musician on Spotify, you may be wondering how to increase your chances of making money from the platform. We collected some actionable tips from artists who generate a steady income from their music on Spotify. Here’s what they had to say:
- Release as much music as possible!
- Fill out your profile as much as possible to make your profile as valuable for the consumer as possible (full bio, pics, user playlists, big discography).
- Pitch your song to Spotify editors via the Spotify for artist app
- Leverage playlists to reach more listeners and increase your streams. The playlists make sure that old listeners will now and then still listen to your music. This brings in a more sustainable and long-term flow of revenue.
- As everyone is obsessing about Spotify, there is more room for you to grow on other platforms! Explore platforms that may offer better payouts (like Apple Music)
By following these tips, you can improve your chances of success on Spotify and beyond.
Spotify vs artists: Why so many musicians HATE Spotify?
The clash between Spotify and artists has been an ongoing issue.. Despite Spotify's claims of having paid over $30 billion in royalties to the music industry in 2021, many musicians still harbor a deep-seated resentment towards the platform.
Sure, the streaming giant may account for over 20% of recorded music revenue, and there are more than 50,000 artists who have generated $10K or more from Spotify streams, with over 1,000 earning over $1 million. But let's crunch some numbers, shall we?
With an estimated 11 million artists on Spotify, you would have to be in the top 1% to earn a significant amount of money from streaming ($10K or more). For the majority of independent artists, the payouts are much lower, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
The sad news is that a quarter of all tracks on music streaming platforms receive zero streams, bringing no revenue to the artists. When you pour your heart and soul into creating music, this can be a bitter pill to swallow. But is Spotify really the villain?
Why artists shouldn’t rely on Spotify to make money
People need to realize that Spotify is not a tool for making money for a starting out, low level musicians. It's just a tool to gain exposure and recognition, to sell more tickets, play more shows and sell more merchandise. The exposure you’ll gain from sharing your music on Spotify is more powerful than the directory monetary gain.
Spotify is a perfect channel to build an audience (which you can monetize), and not a direct revenue source. The revenue an artist receives from their Spotify streams should be just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to the artist's overall income.
You should start with promoting your music on a multiple streaming platforms. With Smart Links, you can build your music landing page in a few seconds for free. Promote your singles, albums, playlists and generate more streams now!
