Royalties
Streaming royalties calculator
Enter your streams to see a take-home range after distributor, label and co-writer shares, or flip the switch to see how many streams a monthly goal takes. Every rate is a sourced range, never one exact number.
Key takeaways
Ranges, not promises
Every result is a range built from published estimates and the assumptions you set.
Assumptions matter most
Distributor, label and co-writer shares change the answer more than any rate does.
Nothing leaves your browser
The calculation runs on this page. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no sign-up.
How it works
- Pick a mode. Start with streams, or start with a monthly goal.
- Check the assumptions. Distributor, label and co-writer shares are yours to edit; they change the answer more than any rate does.
- Read the range. The low end uses the bottom of each platform’s band, the high end the top.
The rates behind it
These are the per-stream ranges the calculator uses, from three 2026 roundups. They are third-party estimates, not official rates. Spotify itself says it pays no per-stream rate and divides its pool by streamshare. Spotify Loud and Clear: Process · checked October 19, 2026 All checked on October 19, 2026.
| Platform | Per stream | Per 1,000 streams | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | $0.003 to $0.005 | $3.00 to $5.00 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
| Apple Music | $0.006 to $0.010 | $6.00 to $10.00 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
| Amazon Music | $0.004 to $0.008 | $4.00 to $8.00 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
| YouTube Music | $0.001 to $0.008 | $1.00 to $8.00 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
| Tidal | $0.011 to $0.015 | $11.00 to $15.00 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
| Deezer | $0.003 to $0.006 | $3.00 to $6.40 | Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch checked October 19, 2026 |
Why take-home is so much lower than the headline
A stream that earns a platform’s gross payout of $0.003 to $0.005 on Spotify still has to pass through several hands. The platform pays your distributor or label; they pay you under your agreement; and if the song has co-writers or a featured artist, each takes their agreed share. A flat-fee distributor keeps nothing from royalties, but a label deal may keep most of them.
The 1,000-stream rule in this calculator
Goal mode
Goal mode runs the math backward: given a monthly take-home, it shows the streams one platform alone would need. The smaller number uses the top of the rate range and the larger the bottom. Few artists get all their streams from one service, so mix and match when planning.
Looking for a single platform’s rate first? See how much Spotify pays per stream.
Questions people ask
How accurate is this calculator?
It is a planning tool. Per-stream payouts are not fixed, so every result is a range built from published estimates and the assumptions you set. Your distributor and label statements are the real numbers.
Where do the per-stream rates come from?
From three 2026 roundups (Chartlex, Playlist Supply, Ones To Watch), taking the full span across them for each platform. Spotify, for example, comes out at $0.003 to $0.005. They are third-party estimates, not official platform rates, and each is dated and linked in the table.
What should I put for my distributor cut?
It depends on your distributor. Some charge a yearly fee and keep none of your royalties; others take a percentage. Check your distributor’s own pricing page. The default is 0%, which matches a flat-fee distributor.
What is “your share”?
The part of the earnings that belongs to you. If you wrote the song with one other person and split 50/50, put 50. If you are paid as a performer on someone else’s record, use the percentage in your agreement.
Does it include publishing royalties?
No. This tool estimates recording (master) royalties from streams. Songwriter publishing royalties come from performing rights organizations and the MLC, and follow different rules.
Is anything I type saved or sent?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no sign-up.