How Much Do Artists Actually Make From Music Streaming Services?

Streaming has become one of the least lucrative ways for artists to earn a living. While it provides an unprecedented opportunity to reach a vast global audience, the financial compensation for their work is meager. Artists often receive mere pennies—or even fractions of a penny—for their creative efforts, leaving many struggling to make ends meet despite significant listenership. Below is a list of the worst offenders, platforms raking in millions in revenue while offering vague and notoriously low royalty payouts to the musicians who drive their success.

While I appreciate the resurgence of vinyl, the current prices are often exorbitant. I still enjoy the quality of CDs, and I frequently invest in deluxe editions of classic rock albums, where I’m more willing to spend extra for the added value. However, even these ambitious reissues often come with hefty price tags. On top of that, rock concert tickets have become outrageously expensive, making live music a luxury for many.

At the same time, I often find myself questioning the ethics of thrift shops and second-hand stores. Many receive vinyl collections as donations, often from estates of the deceased or seniors downsizing their homes. Despite this, they slap absurdly high prices on scratched and worn-out records—products they received for free. It feels like everyone along the chain is exploiting the very musicians who poured their hard work into making this music.

Music, whether in physical form or live performances, has become increasingly unaffordable for some, especially when it comes to big-name acts commanding premium prices. It’s a frustrating double-edged sword—I want to support the artists, knowing how much passion and effort they pour into their craft, but the costs often feel prohibitive.

Streaming services, by contrast, offer an incredibly inexpensive alternative. For the price of what used to be a single album purchase each month, you now gain access to virtually every album ever made. It’s a staggering concept, a digital treasure chest of music at your fingertips. Yet, this convenience comes at a hidden cost—the artist bears the brunt of the financial sacrifice. The streaming model often resembles an upside-down pyramid scheme, with creators receiving mere scraps from a system built on their labor.

Take someone like Neil Young, for example. He can rail against streaming all he wants, proclaiming his desire to “rock in the free world,” but the reality is he—and many others—are doing so for free, or close to it. It’s a system that, while amazing for listeners, often leaves the very people who make the music undervalued and underpaid.

And now with the list…

Napster: $0.019 – $0.021 per stream

Tidal: $0.013 per stream

Deezer: $0.0064 per stream

Apple Music: $0.0056 – $0.0078 per stream

Spotify: $0.00437 per stream

Amazon Music: $0.00402 per stream

SoundCloud: $0.0025 – $0.004 per stream

YouTube Music: $0.0007 – $0.0012 per stream

Pandora: $0.00069 per stream