How many streams on Spotify to make $5,000?

About 1,377,411 streams (1,128,669 to 1,666,667 depending on the source), before any cut. With a 15% distributor, you need more.

What if my distributor takes 15%?

On 1 million streams on Spotify, you keep about $3,086 instead of $3,630.

Does Spotify pay the same amount for every stream?

No: Spotify shares a monthly pool across all streams, so the rate moves with the listener’s country, the plan type and the month. That is why this is a range, not one exact number.

How much do 1 million streams on Spotify pay?

1 million streams on Spotify pay the master owner between $3,000 and $4,430, about $3,630. Here is the breakdown by deal, the comparison with other platforms and what moves the number.

1 million streams on Spotify

$3,630

Range: $3,000 to $4,430

about $0.0036 per stream. Rates checked on October 29, 2026.

1 million streams: what each platform pays

The same number of streams, before any commission.

Platform	Estimate	Range
Amazon Music	$8,800	$8,800
Tidal	$6,800	$6,800 – $13,000
Apple Music	$6,200	$6,200 – $10,000
Deezer	$5,500	$4,000 – $7,000
YouTube Music	$4,800	$4,800 – $7,100
Spotify	$3,630	$3,000 – $4,430
SoundCloud	$3,250	$2,500 – $4,000

What you keep from Spotify, by deal

The platform pays $3,630; your distributor or label takes its share from that.

Flat-fee distributor (no commission)	$3,630
Commission distributor (9%)	$3,303
Commission distributor (15%)	$3,086
Label license deal (about 50%)	$1,815
Traditional label deal (label keeps about 80%)	$726

Run the numbers with your own deal

Platform

Number of streams

Your deal

Your share of the track (%)

If you share the master with a featured artist or producer, enter 50 for a 50/50 split.

What you keep

$3,630

Paid by Spotify: $3,630
Distributor or label cut (0%): − $0
Collaborators’ share (0%): − $0
What you keep: $3,630

Across sources: $3,000 to $4,430

that is $0.0036 per stream for you

What you keep, per platform

Spotify$3,630
Apple Music$6,200
Deezer$5,500
YouTube Music$4,800
Amazon Music$8,800
Tidal$6,800
SoundCloud$3,250

Good to know about Spotify at this volume

Spotify’s threshold is 1,000 streams in 12 months per track: the 1 million streams are only all paid if each track has cleared it. Streams on a track below the threshold earn nothing.
Reaching 1 million streams in 12 months takes an average of 2,740 streams a day on Spotify.
These amounts pay the recording (the master). Songwriting royalties from your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS) and The MLC come on top, and SoundExchange pays performers for US digital radio.

Frequently asked questions

How much do 1 million streams on Spotify pay?: About $3,630, within a range of $3,000 to $4,430, before your distributor’s or label’s cut.
How many streams on Spotify to make $5,000?: About 1,377,411 streams (1,128,669 to 1,666,667 depending on the source), before any cut. With a 15% distributor, you need more.
What if my distributor takes 15%?: On 1 million streams on Spotify, you keep about $3,086 instead of $3,630.
Does Spotify pay the same amount for every stream?: No: Spotify shares a monthly pool across all streams, so the rate moves with the listener’s country, the plan type and the month. That is why this is a range, not one exact number.

Sources for Spotify

Dynamoi, How much Spotify pays per stream
$3.63 worldwide and $4.43 in the US per 1,000 streams, from 383,000 royalty records (April 2026)
Duetti, 2024 Music Economics Report
$3.00 per 1,000 streams in 2024 (January 2025)

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