Do All Streaming Platforms Pay The Same Rate?

Not quite.

Streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify have become one of the music industry’s biggest sources of revenue, surpassing physical sales and digital downloads. If you’ve written original compositions with master recordings available on streaming platforms, Songtrust will collect streaming royalties on your behalf, but the payout rates will vary from platform to platform.

As the songwriter and rightsholder of a composition in the United States, you are entitled to two different types of publishing royalties (mechanical and performance), depending on whether the platform is considered interactive or non-interactive.

While Songtrust will collect mechanical royalties on your behalf, your Performing Rights Organization (PRO) will handle the other half of the equation (performance royalties) - at least for your home country. For artists with global listeners, a publishing administrator like Songtrust is key in collecting performance and mechanical royalties everywhere your songs are streamed. To see a list of our global collection sources, including what type of royalties we collect by territory, head here.

The graphic below outlines the rates paid by various streaming platforms. Please note that they represent a "gross payout" — mechanical and performance royalties paid to both the composition and master recording owners.

Music Streaming - who pays best (not updated)

Interested in learning more? Check out our blog post on the difference between streaming services.

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