How Streaming Royalties Work
Streaming platforms pay you when people listen to your music on their apps. Money flows to:
- Master owner (via distributor)
- Songwriters & publishers (via PRO + mechanical agencies)
Each platform has its own payout rate, rules, and territories. Below is a breakdown of the
major and niche platforms where streams turn into money.
Global DSPs (Major Platforms)
Spotify
Spotify for Artists
Pays: Master royalties (via distributor) + publishing (via PRO/MLC).
Good for: All genres, playlists, algorithmic discovery, global reach.
Apple Music
Apple Music for Artists
Pays: Higher per-stream than many competitors, master + publishing.
Amazon Music
Amazon Music
Pays: Streams from Prime, Unlimited, and Alexa devices.
TIDAL
TIDAL
Pays: One of the highest per-stream rates, HiFi audience.
Deezer
Deezer
Pays: Streaming royalties, strong in Europe and Latin America.
Pandora (Premium)
Pandora
Pays: On-demand streams (master + publishing) via distributor.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music
Pays: Streaming royalties separate from YouTube video ad revenue.
Regional & Niche DSPs
Anghami (Middle East & North Africa)
Anghami
Pays: Streaming royalties in MENA territories.
JioSaavn (India)
JioSaavn
Pays: Streaming royalties in India and South Asia.
Gaana (India)
Gaana
Pays: Streaming royalties in India.
Wynk Music (India)
Wynk
Pays: Streaming royalties via distributor.
QQ Music / Kugou / Kuwo (China)
QQ Music and related Tencent platforms.
Pays: Streaming royalties in China (via select distributors).
NetEase Cloud Music (China)
NetEase Cloud Music
Pays: Streaming royalties in China.
Boomplay (Africa)
Boomplay
Pays: Streaming royalties in African markets.
Mdundo (Africa)
Mdundo
Pays: Ad-supported streams and downloads.
Yandex Music (Russia)
Yandex Music
Pays: Streaming royalties in Russia/CIS.
VK Music (Russia)
VK Music
Pays: Streaming royalties via distributor.
Line Music (Japan)
Line Music
Pays: Streaming royalties in Japan.
AWA (Japan)
AWA
Pays: Streaming royalties in Japan.
Melon (South Korea)
Melon
Pays: Streaming royalties in Korea.
Flo (South Korea)
Flo
Pays: Streaming royalties.
Specialized & Indie Platforms
SoundCloud (Monetization)
SoundCloud Premier / Repost
Pays: Fan-powered royalties based on your actual listeners.
Audiomack
Audiomack AMP
Pays: Streaming royalties via AMP program.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp
Pays: Direct sales (downloads, merch, vinyl) + streaming for fans.
Napster
Napster
Pays: Streaming royalties, historically higher per-stream.
Qobuz
Qobuz
Pays: Hi-res streaming + downloads.
7digital / White-Label Stores
7digital
Pays: Streaming + downloads via partner services.