Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Your payout
$340.00
Gross royalty pool
$400.00
After distributor fee
$340.00
Distributor fee taken
$60.00
Effective per-stream to you
0.00340
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter total streams.
- 2Enter platform average rate.
- 3Enter distributor fee (%).
- 4Enter your split of net (%).
- 5Read your your payout on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Streaming payouts are not a fixed per-stream rate — they come from a pro-rata pool divided by total streams on the platform that month, then filtered through your distributor's fee and any label or publishing splits. This tool uses published per-stream benchmarks (Spotify roughly $0.003–$0.005, Apple Music $0.006–$0.01, Amazon Music around $0.004) so you can model a release realistically instead of trusting a flat headline number. Enter your stream count, pick a platform average, apply your distributor cut, and split the remainder among collaborators by percentage.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total streams: 100000
- Platform average rate: Amazon Music (~$0.004)
- Distributor fee: 15 %
- Your split of net: 100 %
Results
- Your payout: $340.00
- Gross royalty pool: $400.00
- After distributor fee: $340.00
- Distributor fee taken: $60.00
- Effective per-stream to you: 0.0034
What each field means
Inputs
- Total streams
- The total streams used in the calculation. Starts at 100000 so you have a working example on load.
- Platform average rate
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Spotify (low, ~$0.003), Spotify (high, ~$0.005), Apple Music (~$0.008), Amazon Music (~$0.004), YouTube Music (~$0.002).
- Distributor fee (%)
- The distributor fee used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 15 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
- Your split of net (%)
- The your split of net used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 100 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Your payout
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross royalty pool
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- After distributor fee
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Distributor fee taken
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective per-stream to you
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does my payout differ from these estimates?
Per-stream rates fluctuate monthly because they come from dividing a subscription revenue pool by total streams — a low-ad-revenue month or a surge in total platform streams changes everyone's rate. Country of listener also matters a lot: a US Premium stream pays far more than a stream from a market with lower subscription prices or more ad-supported free-tier listening.
Do distributors like DistroKid or TuneCore take a percentage?
Flat-fee distributors like DistroKid and TuneCore typically take 0% of royalties and instead charge an annual subscription, while aggregators bundled with a label deal or services like CD Baby's free tier take 9–15%. Enter 0% if you use a keep-all-royalties plan.
Should I count on streaming income to cover recording costs?
For most independent artists, no. It takes roughly 250,000–350,000 streams on Spotify to net $1,000 after typical fees. Streaming works best as a discovery and touring-driver revenue stream, not the primary income source, unless you're hitting six-figure monthly stream counts.
How do splits get paid if there are multiple collaborators?
Most distributors let you set royalty splits at upload so each collaborator gets paid directly and automatically by percentage, avoiding manual payouts. If you didn't set splits in advance, you're relying on trust and manual transfers, which is where disputes usually start.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Spotify & Apple Music Royalty Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/streaming-royalty-payout
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/streaming-royalty-payout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify & Apple Music Royalty Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Spotify & Apple Music Royalty Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/streaming-royalty-payout) (2026).