Spotify pays out between $0.003 and $0.0084 per stream on their platform. The average rate for a listen on Spotify is $0.004. You can see how drastically different the figure can be on a single listen and this is largely due to the disparity between the value of a listen from a Premium subscriber on their service and listens from the many free users. As always, territory also plays a large part. Reports suggest that streams from the US may earn $0.0039 whilst a listen in Portugal can pay $0.0018. An artist will need to reach 250 streams on a track to earn a dollar and 1000 streams will earn them somewhere between $3 and $5 most likely.
Apple Music pays out an average of $0.0078 a stream on their platform. It will take an artist roughly 136 streams to earn a dollar on Apple Music, and 136,000 streams to earn $1000.
YouTube made changes to their music rates in recent years to ensure that a view on music content was worth more than a view on video content. This followed arguments that YouTube was severely devaluing music by making it available to stream on-demand on an ad-supported website where the ads are easily blocked, meaning music was earning far below the average. For official content uploaded to YouTube, music earns on average between $0.0016 and $0.008 depending on whether the listen comes from a visitor to the website or a paying YouTube Red subscriber. Music used in YouTube videos – but not uploaded by the rightsholder or their affiliates – also earns money through Content ID. Content ID will earn on average $0.00087 per stream.
YouTube Music is the music streaming service associated with and technically alongside and connected to YouTube’s platform. It has its own app and website and earns slightly different for music streams than plays on YouTube’s main site videos will garner as its a dedicated music streaming service.
Plays on YouTube Music will gain on average $0.008.
TIDAL have long boasted some of the highest streaming rates in the industry with an artist focused model and more expensive subscriptions for users. TIDAL have also recently begun exploring the UCPS model, an alternative to the pro-rata model that some deem to be a fairer way of distributing revenues between artists.
TIDAL pays on average $0.0128 per stream. TIDAL is remarkable as one of the few streaming services to pay more than 1 cent per stream. An artist needs roughly 80 streams to earn a dollar and 80,000 streams to earn $1000.
Amazon Music is the official streaming service from the marketplace and tech giant. They offer a number of music offerings including the limited Prime music service which comes included in a Prime subscription. Here we’re talking about their full music service
Amazon Music pays an average of $0.004 a stream. An artist will need to gain roughly 249 streams to earn a dollar and 249,000 streams to earn $1000.
Napster are one of – if not the – highest paying music streaming service per play. Napster, like TIDAL, are a rarity in that they pay more than a cent per play. This is notably surprising if you take into consideration Napster’s storied past as a pirated music platform in the early 2000s.
Napster pays an average of $0.019 per stream. An artist will need just roughly 53 plays on Napster to make a dollar and 53,000 streams to earn $1000.
Deezer pay an average of $0.0064 per stream. An artist will need roughly 156 plays on Deezer to make a dollar and 156,000 plays to earn $1000.
Pandora pays an average of $0.0013 per stream. An artist will need roughly 751 plays on Pandora to make a dollar and 751,000 plays to earn $1000.