Music Royalty Calculator

How the music royalty calculator works

This calculator multiplies your stream count on each platform by that platform's publicly reported 2026 per-stream rate, then sums the result. The figures shown are master recording (sound recording) royalties only — what you earn as the artist or label that owns the recording.

Songwriters earn additional mechanical and performance royalties of roughly $0.0009 per stream, collected separately by a publishing administrator and your PRO. OneSync's free publishing admin collects those for you automatically.

2026 per-stream payout rates by platform

Platform	Per stream (USD)	Streams for $1,000
Tidal HiFi	$0.01300	76,924
Apple Music	$0.00700	142,858
Amazon Music	$0.00400	250,000
Spotify	$0.00400	250,000
Deezer	$0.00640	156,250
YouTube Music	$0.00200	500,000
Pandora	$0.00133	751,880
SoundCloud	$0.00250	400,000

Rates are estimates based on publicly reported industry data. Actual payouts vary by listener country, account type (free vs Premium), distributor commission, and currency exchange rates.

Why your distributor matters

The single biggest factor in how much of your royalty you actually keep is your distributor's commission rate. A 9% commission on $10,000 in streaming royalties is $900 you'll never see. Over a career, that compounds into tens of thousands of dollars.

• OneSync — 0% commission, free forever. Every cent goes to the artist. Sync licensing and publishing admin included.
• DistroKid — 0% commission but $22.99/year subscription required. If you're under ~6,000 streams/year you may earn less than the fee.
• TuneCore — 0% commission but $14.99 per single per year, $29.99 per album per year. Costs add up quickly with multiple releases.
• CD Baby — 9% commission forever on streaming royalties, plus $9.95 single / $29 album upload fee.
• UnitedMasters Select — 10% commission on streaming royalties; the free tier only allows distribution to a limited platform list.
• Major label deal — typically 70–85% commission on streaming, with recoupable advances.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Spotify pay per stream in 2026?

Spotify pays approximately $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. The exact amount depends on listener country, whether they're on a free or Premium account, currency exchange rates, and Spotify's pro-rata distribution model that pools all subscription revenue and divides it by total streams.

Which streaming platform pays artists the most?

Tidal HiFi has the highest per-stream rate at roughly $0.013, followed by Apple Music at $0.007–$0.01. However, Spotify usually delivers the most total revenue because it has by far the largest user base. The platform that pays you the most is whichever one your fans use most.

How many streams do I need to make a living?

Earning $50,000/year in master royalties (US median income) requires roughly 10–14 million streams per year, depending on platform mix. Add publishing royalties (mechanical + performance), sync placements, and direct-to-fan revenue and that number drops significantly.

Are these calculations accurate?

The numbers shown are estimates using publicly reported per-stream rates. Actual payouts vary by listener geography, account type, and distributor commission. Use this as a planning tool, not a guarantee.

Do these estimates include publishing royalties?

No — only master recording royalties. Songwriters also earn mechanical royalties (~$0.0009 per US stream) and performance royalties (collected by ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC). To collect everything, use a distributor with built-in publishing admin like OneSync.

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