How many streams on Spotify to make $500?

About 137,742 streams (112,867 to 166,667 depending on the source), before any cut. With a 15% distributor, you need more.

What if my distributor takes 15%?

On 10,000 streams on Spotify, you keep about $30.86 instead of $36.30.

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 10,000 streams on Spotify pay?

10,000 streams on Spotify pay the master owner between $30.00 and $44.30, about $36.30. Here is the breakdown by deal, the comparison with other platforms and what moves the number.

10,000 streams on Spotify

$36.30

Range: $30.00 to $44.30

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

10,000 streams: what each platform pays

The same number of streams, before any commission.

Platform	Estimate	Range
Amazon Music	$88.00	$88.00
Tidal	$68.00	$68.00 – $130
Apple Music	$62.00	$62.00 – $100
Deezer	$55.00	$40.00 – $70.00
YouTube Music	$48.00	$48.00 – $71.00
Spotify	$36.30	$30.00 – $44.30
SoundCloud	$32.50	$25.00 – $40.00

What you keep from Spotify, by deal

The platform pays $36.30; your distributor or label takes its share from that.

Flat-fee distributor (no commission)	$36.30
Commission distributor (9%)	$33.03
Commission distributor (15%)	$30.86
Label license deal (about 50%)	$18.15
Traditional label deal (label keeps about 80%)	$7.26

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

$36.30

Paid by Spotify: $36.30
Distributor or label cut (0%): − $0
Collaborators’ share (0%): − $0
What you keep: $36.30

Across sources: $30.00 to $44.30

that is $0.0036 per stream for you

What you keep, per platform

Spotify$36.30
Apple Music$62.00
Deezer$55.00
YouTube Music$48.00
Amazon Music$88.00
Tidal$68.00
SoundCloud$32.50

Good to know about Spotify at this volume

Spotify’s threshold is 1,000 streams in 12 months per track: the 10,000 streams are only all paid if each track has cleared it. Streams on a track below the threshold earn nothing.
Reaching 10,000 streams in 12 months takes an average of 28 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 10,000 streams on Spotify pay?: About $36.30, within a range of $30.00 to $44.30, before your distributor’s or label’s cut.
How many streams on Spotify to make $500?: About 137,742 streams (112,867 to 166,667 depending on the source), before any cut. With a 15% distributor, you need more.
What if my distributor takes 15%?: On 10,000 streams on Spotify, you keep about $30.86 instead of $36.30.
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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