Spotify ($10B paid 2024) → Rights Holders (70% of revenue) → Label (takes cut) → Artist (what’s left)
$0.003 – $0.005 per stream
1 Million Streams = $3,000 – $5,000 (before label cut)
Minimum: 1,000 streams in 12 months to earn
Sources: Spotify Loud and Clear March 2025
Sony, Universal, Warner
10–20%
1M streams × $0.004 = $4,000
Artist gets: $400 – $800
EMPIRE, Rimas, 300 Ent
50–85%
1M streams × $0.004 = $4,000
Artist gets: $2,000 – $3,400
Shaboozey (EMPIRE): 1B streams × $0.004 = $4M → Keeps ~70% = ~$2.8 MILLION
If major at 20%: only ~$800K — that’s a $2 MILLION difference!
Spotify, Apple, Tidal
~$0.004/stream
Concerts, festivals
Often #1 income source
Songwriting royalties
If YOU write, YOU earn
TV, film, ads, games
Can pay $10K–$500K+
Clothing, accessories
50–70% profit margin
Sponsorships, collabs
Social media required
Key Insight: Smart artists don’t rely on just ONE income source. Shaboozey earns from streaming + touring + publishing + merch + J-Kwon royalty share!
1. Calculate earnings at different stream levels
2. Apply major vs. indie label splits
3. Analyze the Shaboozey case study
4. Reflect: Why do artists tour?
Key Formula:
Streams × $0.004 = Total Earnings
Total × Artist % = Artist Earnings
How much does Spotify pay per stream? (before splits)
What percentage does a major label artist typically keep?
Name TWO other ways artists make money besides streaming.
How did Shaboozey legally use J-Kwon’s “Tipsy”?