Streaming Royalty Calculator 2026 | QuantumPlaylist
Estimate music streaming earnings for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal and more. Enter your stream count, choose a currency, and compare payout estimates using 2026 industry averages.
Calculate streaming royalties by platform
Select a platform, enter your stream count, and see the estimated payout. For album totals, use the combined streams of all tracks.
Tip: If you have monthly listener reports by platform, run separate estimates per platform for a more realistic total.
These values reflect 2026 payout averages. Actual royalties vary by country, distributor, subscription tier, rights splits, and reporting period.
Streaming payout comparison (lowest to highest)
The figures below are simplified per-stream estimates used for planning. Real payouts can shift based on territory, subscription mix, and distributor reporting.
How streaming royalties work in 2026
Streaming payouts are not a universal fixed “rate per stream.” Most platforms distribute money from a revenue pool. Your royalty total depends on how much revenue the platform generated, where your listeners are located, whether they use free or premium plans, and how your rights are split across master and publishing.
What changes your payout per stream
- Country and territory: subscription pricing and ad revenue differ by market.
- Free vs premium listeners: ad-supported streams usually generate less than paid subscriptions.
- Distribution and label deals: distributor fees and label splits affect your net payout.
- Rights and splits: master recording income and publishing income can flow through different channels.
- Content type and eligibility: short plays, skips, and platform-specific rules can influence what counts.
Master royalties vs publishing royalties
When people talk about “streaming royalties,” they often mix two buckets. Master royalties (sound recording income) are paid to the owner of the recording, usually routed through a distributor or label. Publishing royalties relate to the composition and can involve a publisher and collecting societies. Your final net income depends on how you own or share both sides.
Why calculators use averages
Because payouts fluctuate, calculators use average estimates to help with planning. The purpose is comparison and budgeting: if you are forecasting a release, deciding where to invest in marketing, or estimating what a playlist boost might mean in total revenue, an average estimator is still useful even if the final statement differs.
How to estimate earnings more realistically
- Estimate per platform based on where your audience actually streams.
- Use monthly stream counts from your distributor if available.
- Apply your own contract splits (label, distributor fees, co-writers) to move from gross to net.
Where QuantumPlaylist’s estimates come from
QuantumPlaylist uses 2026 industry payout averages compiled from commonly reported distributor ranges and typical platform behavior. This page provides estimates for planning and education. It is not an official payout statement from any DSP.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Spotify pay per stream in 2026?
Spotify payouts vary by country, subscription tier, and your distribution deal. Use this calculator to estimate earnings using 2026 payout averages, then treat the result as an estimate rather than a fixed rate.
How much does Apple Music pay per stream compared to Spotify?
Apple Music often trends higher per stream in many markets, but totals depend on your listener mix and rights splits. Use the same stream count in the calculator to compare estimated payouts across platforms.
Do free streams pay less than premium streams?
Yes. Ad-supported streams typically generate less revenue than paid subscriptions. The platform’s revenue pool and your audience mix are key drivers of variance.
Why do streaming royalties change month to month?
Royalties can change due to shifts in platform revenue, ad performance, subscriber growth, country mix, and your catalog’s share of total streams. That is why per-stream numbers are best treated as averages.
How are streaming royalties split between artist, label, and publisher?
Streaming revenue may include master recording income and publishing income. Your net payout depends on your label or distributor agreement, publisher or co-writer splits, and collecting society fees. This calculator estimates gross platform payout before those splits.
Is this streaming royalty calculator accurate?
It is accurate as an estimator. It uses 2026 payout averages and common assumptions, but your real payout varies by territory, subscription tier, distributor fees, label splits, and reporting period.
Can I estimate royalties for an album or catalog?
Yes. Enter the combined stream count across all tracks to estimate total gross royalties. For better forecasting, estimate per platform based on audience share.
Do playlist placements increase the per-stream rate?
No. Playlist placements do not change the per-stream rate. They can increase total earnings by driving more real streams.
What data does QuantumPlaylist use for payout estimates?
QuantumPlaylist uses 2026 industry payout averages compiled from widely reported platform behavior and typical distributor reporting ranges. This tool is designed for planning and comparison, not as an official payout statement.