How Much Does Spotify Pay You Per Stream in 2024?

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Popular music streaming services or platforms like Spotify are more than just for listening to music while driving or working out. The music industry has opened up to a vast audience, but this has come at a considerable cost to independent artists trying to make money off of streaming revenue and Spotify royalty payments. 

Quick Take: How Much Do Artists Make on Spotify?

Before you know how to make money off of the music on Spotify, it’s good to understand what exactly a stream is on this digital streaming platform. When you play a song on Spotify, that’s called a stream and every time someone listens to a song it increases the stream rate and the amount the artist can potentially earn. Here are a few key takeaways:

• In 2024, Spotify pays artists somewhere between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream.
• For example, if you’re an artist and your song gets streamed 1,000 times, at $0.003 per stream, you’d earn $3. If it’s at the higher rate of $0.005 per stream, you’d make $5 which can add up to the total number of streams as Spotify is the most popular music platform.
• The amount an artist earns per stream can vary widely. It depends on various factors, like whether the listener has a free or a Spotify Premium account and which country they’re streaming from.
• Listeners with premium accounts on the music streaming platform typically generate more revenue per stream for artists compared to those with free accounts. Also, different countries have different payment rates based on their economic conditions and Spotify’s agreements with record labels so you may have to break out the royalty calculator.

Spotify: Exposure vs. Paycheck

While artists might not be rolling in cash from Spotify streams alone, it’s still a vital source of income for many musicians. Plus, getting your music out there on platforms like Spotify can lead to other opportunities, like concerts, merchandise sales and more fans discovering your music.

It’s also worth mentioning that streaming isn’t the only way you can make money as a musician. For instance, you can also earn revenue from things like album sales, merchandise, live performances, and licensing music for movies, TV shows and commercials.

Who Are the Highest Paid Artists on Spotify?

Outside of making money as an independent artist on Spotify, you might find it aspirational to see the earning potential of some pretty heavy musical hitters. Though chart toppers and streaming numbers will vary here are some of the current highest earners on Spotify: 

1. Drake: Estimated earnings over $280 million
2. Taylor Swift: Estimated earnings over $272 million
3. Bad Bunny: Estimated earnings over $268 million
4. The Weeknd: Estimated earnings over $206 million
5. Ed Sheeran: Estimated earnings over $185 million
6. Ariana Grande: Estimated earnings over $160 million
7. Justin Bieber: Estimated earnings over $160 million
8. Eminem: Estimated earnings over $158 million
9. Post Malone: Estimated earnings over $147 million
10. BTS: Estimated earnings over $146 million

Final Take To GO

The bottom line is that while the amount an artist earns per stream on Spotify might seem small, every stream counts.

If you’re an artist, it’s possible to boost your income by putting your music on Spotify. If you’re an audiophile, next time you hit play on your favorite song, remember that you’re not just enjoying the music — you’re also supporting the artists behind it, one stream at a time.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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