How to sell your music on Spotify

Most likely, artists get the most benefit from posting music on streaming platforms by increasing the number of subscribers and new fans of their work. But there is also a royalty system that involves paying money to music rights holders for listening to music. Below, we’ll take a look at what payments Spotify offers and how much royalties a musician can expect.

How does an artist get paid money from Spotify?

The platform pays a part of its income to the copyright holders of the music material. These can be independent artists, distributors, and record labels. The amount of such payments depends on the number of listens to music on the platform. But most often, musicians are paid not directly by Spotify, but by representatives with whom they have signed an agreement: the above-mentioned record labels or distributors. Before the artist receives royalties, the intermediary first calculates the costs incurred for promotion and then pays the artist.

As for payment from distributors, it is usually received by independent artists who create music themselves and immediately send it to music platforms through an intermediary for distribution. Payment for this service can be in the form of an annual subscription or a percentage of the artist’s income. It’s worth noting that there is a minimum threshold after which Spotify can pay royalties. This amount depends on the country, but it is approximately $100.

When does Spotify pay artists?

There is no specific date when the platform pays royalties. But this process takes place every month. First, you need to collect information and prepare a report that will show the information on royalty accruals. This usually takes several days. Then, this information is sent to the distributor or record label, i.e. the organization with which the artist has signed an agreement. It all depends on the specifics of the intermediary’s work. The musician can find out this information directly from them. We would like to remind you that if the amount for all streams does not reach the $100 mark, the entire accumulated amount will be automatically transferred to the next month and charges will continue.

How much does a musician make on Spotify?

The amount of earnings is different for each artist and depends on several factors. First of all, it is the number of streams that the artist’s tracks have received. The amount of income will also depend on the country: the market of a particular country may bring more or less profit, and the cost of subscription may also vary.

If an artist pays for a Premium subscription, the amount of their payments will also be higher than if they use a regular free plan. If an artist works as an independent person and does not sign contracts with record labels, such an artist may receive more money because the label will no longer charge the artist for their services. Another factor that can affect the amount of royalties is the total pool. This value is also constantly changing, and the more the platform allocates funds to this pool, the more money the artist will receive for streams.

In addition to making efforts to promote music, you need to work on its quality, but it should be regular releases. The more music you have, the more streams you will have, and the more you will be able to expand your audience reach. For example, some DJs don’t have the opportunity to write a lot of music, and some don’t even have their own tracks. They lose a significant number of new fans if they don’t use streaming services to publish their own releases.

In this case, there are so-called ghost producers who create music and sell it on marketplaces. DJs and artists buy such tracks and use them to develop their careers, as they receive commercial rights to the track along with it. If you have such a need, visit our marketplace and buy ghost production music that meets modern trends and is of high quality. After the purchase, you can immediately start the process of submitting such tracks under your own name to Spotify and other sites.

How much money is 1 stream on Spotify?

The amount of royalties depends on the rate. If the artist works through an intermediary, the details will be specified in the contract, but approximately this share is $0.003-0.0084 per stream. This is a very small part, so to get a comfortable income, the artist needs to work hard on presence and promotion to increase the number of streams and build up the subscriber base. So, how much does Spotify pay artists? Only very well-known artists, musicians, and DJs who are known all over the world receive decent enough payments. Their tracks receive hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions of plays. Do the math, and you’ll get a pretty attractive sum in a month.

How to add producer credits to Spotify?

In order to add credits to your release, you need to choose a music distributor and use their services. Such a service allows you to send all the necessary information when uploading music to the service: artist name, album or song title, and other artists with whom the release was created. This option will be available when you add a track to the service at one of the stages. Carefully add all the necessary data and check that everything is correct.

After you have submitted your release along with the credits, the distributor begins to prepare your material for publication at music services. Once the publishing process is complete, the tracks will appear in the Spotify catalog. This can take a few days, so check back regularly to make sure all the information you’ve posted is correct.

How much does it cost to put music on Spotify?

The cost of publishing tracks on the platform depends on how you distribute your music. If you want to upload your releases through a distributor, you need to read the terms of service and their cost on the service’s website. If your music is distributed by a record label, you can find out these terms and conditions from your manager. We would like to remind you that you cannot download music through your Spotify account.

How to upload DJ mixes to Spotify?

If you are a DJ and want to upload your mix to the platform, there is a special form for DJs on the website. At the time of writing this article, this feature is being tested, but any DJ can join and get a chance to be included in the list. By the way, the mix is checked for the tracks included in it. After all the tracks are identified, their owners will be able to receive their royalties properly.

As you can see, only fairly well-known artists and musicians can make money from royalties. For mid-level artists and below, unfortunately, the income will be disappointing. In other articles on our blog, we have repeatedly written that Spotify provides an opportunity for any artist to get new subscribers and fans. If you work well on the quality of your music and promotion, the number of followers will also grow. Therefore, if you are still not on the top list, you have something to work on.