Use a statement-based rate
Keep target and rate in the same currency. Divide the revenue for a chosen platform, rights basis and period by its relevant streams. Use a range of plausible statements for planning; a historic effective rate does not promise the next period’s revenue.
Deductions and ownership
The calculation applies distributor deduction and your ownership share once. If the rate already represents money paid to you after every deduction, use zero further deduction and 100% share. Apple’s optional historic reference includes both recording and publishing, so it cannot be treated as a current master-only net rate.
Why results vary
Country, subscription plans, advertising demand, streamshare, eligibility, agreements and recoupment affect receipts. This calculator estimates a scenario; it does not determine whether particular streams qualify for payment. Spotify eligibility applies to individual recordings and is not a simple subtraction from this target.
Compare the five services
These are payout-model references, not a verified ranking. Apple’s historical combined-rights average cannot be directly compared with current master-only receipts.
| Platform | Published reference | Payout model |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | No official fixed rate published | Monthly market streamshare; recording eligibility applies. Sources and dates ↗ |
| Apple Music | Historical reference: USD 0.01 (2020) Apple’s source page is dated 2 June 2021 and reports this average for individual paid plans in 2020. It includes label and publisher royalties. It is not a current artist take-home rate and is not directly comparable with master-only statements. | Streamshare; historical 2020 combined-rights reference. Sources and dates ↗ |
| YouTube Music | No official fixed rate published | Music usage and revenue allocation by rights, country and offer. Sources and dates ↗ |
| Tidal | No official fixed rate published | Distributor agreements and eligible catalog usage; Upload earns no royalties. Sources and dates ↗ |
| Amazon Music | No official fixed rate published | Usage by country and subscription tier; separate rights payments. Sources and dates ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
How many streams make $1,000?
There is no universal total. Enter a positive effective rate; the calculator divides 1,000 by your estimated net rate and rounds upward.
Can I use euros or pounds?
Yes. Select the currency and enter every rate in that same currency. The calculator does not fetch or convert exchange rates.
Is the monthly target a salary forecast?
No. It is another target amount. Streams and payments can occur in different reporting periods, and income can be irregular.
Why are some platform results blank?
No defensible fixed rate is assumed. Enter your own effective rate to calculate a scenario for that platform.
Sources and dates
- Spotify — Understanding royalties —
- Spotify — Streamshare —
- Spotify — Track monetization eligibility —
- Apple Music — Insights: Royalties —
- YouTube — Subscription financial reports —
- YouTube Music — Music aggregators —
- Tidal — Maintaining content integrity —
- Tidal — Tidal Upload —
- Amazon Music for Artists — FAQ —
For education and planning only. This is not legal or financial advice.
Last reviewed:
