My band has ~ 13,000 total streams on our music and that has earned us $50 USD Answer from Jsyourboy91 on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/spotify › how much do artists make on spotify (case studies)
r/spotify on Reddit: How much do artists make on Spotify (case studies)
May 11, 2023 -

We all know that the payout rate per stream is low, but just how low is it really?

I was intrigued by the statistic that the average payout on Spotify is only $0.004 per stream. So, I investigated this topic and found out artists who were willing to share their real revenue numbers.

I was curious to see just how many are able to hit that elusive $0.004 per stream mark. You can read the full article here.

If you're an artist and you're willing to share your Spotify numbers, I would love to include you. Just comment with a link to your Spotify and I'll add you to the list.

CASE 1: L.DRE

Streams: 1.5 million (album)

Paid: $4345

Rate: $0.002896 per stream or $2.896 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 2: GENERATION LOST

Streams: 2 million (total)

Paid: $5086

Rate: $0.002543 per stream or $2.543 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 3: HARRY SEATON

Streams: 250 000 (total)

Paid: $1194

Rate: $0.004776 per stream or $4.776 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 4: THIJS NIJENHUIS

Streams: 80,000 (total)

Paid: $170

Rate: $0.002125 per stream or $2.125 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 5: BORN HUMAN

Streams: 2 million (total)

Paid: $4000

Rate: $0.002 per stream or $2 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 6: ADAMEANT

Streams: 1.4 million (song)

Paid: $4040

Rate: $0.002885 per stream or $2.885 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

CASE 7: RYAN HARRIS

Streams: 400,000

Paid: $1400

Rate: $0,0035 per stream or $3.5 per 1000 streams

Link to Spotify

Source of data

Edit:

How much you can earn on Spotify depends on a few factors: listeners' location, type of their subscription (premium vs free), your distribution deal.

You may notice that despite having the same number of streams (2M), Born Human earned $1K less than Generation Lost.

As it turns out, Born Human's listeners are mostly from Turkey and Poland, where the payout rates are lower.

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Spotify for Artists
artists.spotify.com › en › blog › modernizing-our-royalty-system
Modernizing Our Royalty System to Drive an Additional $1 Billion toward Emerging and Professional Artists – Spotify for Artists
November 20, 2023 - Tens of millions of them have been streamed between 1 and 1,000 times over the past year and, on average, those tracks generated $0.03 per month. Because labels and distributors require a minimum amount to withdraw (usually $2-$50 per withdrawal), ...
Discussions

How much do artists make on Spotify (case studies)
My band has ~ 13,000 total streams on our music and that has earned us $50 USD More on reddit.com
🌐 r/spotify
153
330
May 11, 2023
On Spotify, once you hit 1000 streams is that when you start earning? Or do you earn all the 1000 streams once you hit that point?
You may want to read this article, especially the How will royalties be calculated under this new policy? tab https://support.spotify.com/us/artists/article/track-monetization-eligibility/ More on reddit.com
🌐 r/musicmarketing
43
16
February 22, 2024
Do you really earn $0.003 per play from Spotify?
Yes, each stream for me is about $0.003 on average. I've not checked this last year, when it could well have gone up due to subscription prices rises, but the few years before that, $0.003 was about right. Spotify has about 40% paid subscribers and 60% ad-supported/free, so what you tend to see is that the plays from paid subscribers come in at a little over $0.005 and those from free users are tiny like $0.0003, and they average to somewhere above $0.0025. And obviously it varies per country as well - US subscribers tend to pay me about $0.004, Scandinavians pay more like $0.006. My music does well in high paying countries so I do tend to see a bit over $0.003 per stream. (Which is still atrocious and abusive, don't get me wrong.) More on reddit.com
🌐 r/truespotify
30
183
January 5, 2025
Spotify will no longer pay artists for tracks with fewer than 1,000 streams...
Waiting for the second coming of SoundCloud More on reddit.com
🌐 r/musicproduction
439
636
November 14, 2023
People also ask

Why is Spotify pay per stream so low?
That $0.003 to $0.005 figure might feel tiny. Here’s why: • Billions of streams: Divide the total revenue by all those plays, and each one is a small slice • Licensing costs: Spotify pays labels, publishers, and songwriters first, leaving a smaller pool for artists • Free vs. Premium users: Free listeners generate less revenue than Premium subscribers, dragging the average down Real-World Snapshot: If your song hits 100 million streams, 100,000,000 × $0.004 = $400,000 before anyone else takes a cut. So while per-stream feels low, volume can translate into real money.
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soundcamps.com
soundcamps.com › blog › spotify royalties calculator
Spotify Royalties Calculator: Most Accurate (December 2025)
How many streams do you need to make $1,000 on Spotify?
Quick math: • Average payout: $0.004 per streamStreams for $1,000: $1,000 ÷ $0.004 ≈ 250,000 streams If you want to know how much money is 100 million streams on Spotify, multiply 100,000,000 × $0.004 = $400,000 (before distributor or label fees). If your payout drops to $0.003, you’d need about 333,333 streams to hit $1,000. If it’s closer to $0.005, it’s 200,000 streams. Pro Tip: Treat these as ballpark figures. Your real numbers might be a smidge higher or lower depending on various factors.
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soundcamps.com
soundcamps.com › blog › spotify royalties calculator
Spotify Royalties Calculator: Most Accurate (December 2025)
When does Spotify pay artists?
Short answer: Once a month. Here’s the rough timeline: 1. End of Month: Spotify tallies all the streams and calculates royalties. 2. Next 30 Days: Spotify sends the cash to your distributor/label. 3. After That: Your distributor/label pays you (timing varies—could be another few weeks). Bottom Line: From stream to your bank, expect around 2–3 months. (Yes, you’ll need a bit of patience—Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is streaming revenue!)
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soundcamps.com
soundcamps.com › blog › spotify royalties calculator
Spotify Royalties Calculator: Most Accurate (December 2025)
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Matchfy.io Blog News
blog.matchfy.io › how-much-does-spotify-pay-per-stream-in-2025-a-complete-guide-for-independent-artists
How much does Spotify pay per stream in 2025? ...
June 9, 2025 - Understanding how Spotify’s payment system works is key to making the most of your music. ... Let’s start with the numbers. As of 2025, Spotify pays an average of $0.003 to $0.005 per stream.
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Music Gateway
musicgateway.com › royalties-calculator
Royalty Calculator
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One Submit
one-submit.com › post › how-much-does-spotify-pay-per-stream
How much does Spotify pay per stream?
May 24, 2025 - This article was made to shed some light on streaming royalty payments on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms, how much revenue you will be able to make using Spotify and the different digital streaming platforms, a comparison between the different streaming platforms, and who pays the most and who pays less. How much do you get paid per stream on spotify has an important effect on your earnings has an artist.
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SoundCampaign
soundcamps.com › blog › spotify royalties calculator
Spotify Royalties Calculator: Most Accurate (December 2025)
July 25, 2025 - Quick Reality Check: Those pennies ... ... To figure out how much Spotify pay per 1,000 stream, let’s say each stream is worth $0.005 (on the higher end)....
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Unchained Music
unchainedmusic.io › blog-posts › spotify-royalty-calculator
Spotify Royalty Calculator: How Much Does Spotify Pay per Stream? | Unchained Music
September 30, 2024 - The total revenue is divided among rights holders according to their share of total streams on the platform during a specific period. This means an artist's earnings are proportionate to the number of streams they receive relative to all streams. Several factors affect Spotify pay and how much an artist earns per stream, emphasizing the significance of this pay structure for artists.
Find elsewhere
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Disc Makers
blog.discmakers.com › 2025 › 05 › how-much-does-spotify-pay-per-stream
How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream? | Disc Makers
May 1, 2025 - Working from the above estimate, you’d need between 200,000 and 334,000 streams to make $1000. To make $10,000, you’d need 2 million to 3.34 million and to make $50,000, approximately 10 million to 16.6 million.
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artist.tools
artist.tools › spotify-royalties-calculator
Spotify Royalties Calculator 2025: Streams to Money
This is based on the Worldwide Average (all the countries added up, divided by number of countries). So, 1000 streams would be around $2.38, and 100,000 streams would be $238, and 1,000,000 streams would be $2380.
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TuneCore
tunecore.com › guides › how-much-does-spotify-pay
How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream in 2025
get paid by Spotify once you’ve reached your first 1,500 streams. In 2025, Spotify is paying artists $0.003 to $0.005 per stream.
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Spotify Support
support.spotify.com › us › artists › article › understanding-spotify-royalties
Understanding Spotify royalties - Spotify
To calculate net revenue, we subtract the money we collect but don’t get to keep. This includes payments for things like taxes, credit card processing fees, and billing, along with some other things like sales commissions. From there, the rightsholder’s share of net revenue is determined by streamshare.
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Kosignmusic
kosignmusic.com › blog › how-much-do-artists-make-on-spotify-a-deep-dive-into-streaming-royalties
How Much Do Artists Make on Spotify? A Deep Dive into Streaming Royalties | KOSIGN
March 21, 2025 - Spotify pays artists between $0.003–$0.005 per stream, but actual earnings vary based on listener location, subscription tier, and total stream share. This guide breaks down how Spotify royalties work—and how artists can boost their payouts ...
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TechCrunch
techcrunch.com › home › spotify says its payouts are getting better, but artists still disagree
Spotify says its payouts are getting better, but artists still disagree | TechCrunch
March 12, 2025 - It found that Spotify paid artists $3 per 1,000 streams, while other platforms like Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube paid $8.80, $6.20, and $4.80, respectively, per 1,000 streams in 2024.
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Printify
printify.com › resource center › blog › product inspiration › how much do artists make on spotify in 2026?
How Much Do Artists Make on Spotify (2026)
May 26, 2025 - Subscription-based services like DistroKid, Ditto, and TuneCore allow almost anyone to stream their music on Spotify or other streaming platforms. Spotify pays artists an estimated $0.003 to $0.005 per stream.
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Produce Like A Pro
producelikeapro.com › audio engineering › how much does spotify pay per stream in 2024?
How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream in 2024? - Produce Like A Pro
June 17, 2024 - Worldwide, the average that Spotify pays per stream is $0.003 · The actual rate per stream is anywhere between $0.001 and $0.008. This is all based on who’s listening: where they’re from, whether they’re a free or paid user, how many ads ...
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LANDR
blog.landr.com › home › spotify royalties: how much does spotify pay per stream in 2024?
Spotify Royalties: How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream in 2025?
January 2, 2025 - The amount of revenue needed to surpass the threshold is said to be 5 cents per track, as reported by Music Business Weekly—which amounts to approximately 1,000 streams per year.