Free Tool
Apple Music Royalty Calculator
Apple Music pays one of the highest per-stream rates of the big platforms. Enter a stream count to estimate your royalties instantly.
How much does Apple Music pay per stream?
Apple Music pays roughly $0.007–$0.01 per stream to rightsholders. Apple has publicly said the average is about one cent per play. There is no ad-supported free tier dragging the average down, which is the main reason the rate runs about double Spotify’s.
The catch is volume: Spotify’s listener base is far larger, and playlist-driven discovery there generates stream counts Apple Music rarely matches for independent artists. Per-stream rate matters less than total real streams, wherever they happen.
How Apple Music compares to other platforms
| Platform | Typical payout | Per 100,000 plays |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Music | $0.007–$0.01 / stream | $700–$1,000 |
| Spotify | $0.003–$0.005 / stream | $300–$500 |
| YouTube (music video) | $0.001–$0.003 / view | $100–$300 |
Ranges are industry-reported averages for independent artists, before distributor or label splits. Full breakdown in our streaming royalty rates guide.
Apple Music royalties: FAQ
How much does Apple Music pay per stream?
Roughly $0.007 to $0.01 per stream on average. Apple has publicly said it pays about one cent per play on average, and real-world artist payouts usually land a little under that once listener country mix and your distributor or label split are applied.
Does Apple Music pay more than Spotify?
Per stream, yes: roughly double to triple Spotify's $0.003 to $0.005 average, partly because Apple Music has no ad-supported free tier. Spotify's much larger listener base usually still generates more total streams, so most artists earn more on Spotify in absolute terms.
How many Apple Music streams to make $1,000?
At roughly $0.007 to $0.01 per stream, $1,000 takes about 100,000 to 143,000 streams. The calculator above shows the range for any stream count you enter.
Does the calculator show exact earnings?
No, it is an estimate based on the commonly reported $0.007 to $0.01 per-stream range. Your exact payout depends on where your listeners are and what share your distributor or label takes.
More free tools
- Spotify Royalty Calculator · what your streams are worth
- Playlist Reach Calculator · estimate the streams a playlist placement really delivers
- YouTube Royalty Calculator · what your views are worth
- Free Playlist Checker · spot botted playlists before you pitch them
Higher rates only pay off with more streams.
Playlist placements are still the fastest way to grow real streams. PlaylistSupply finds verified playlist curator contacts and checks every playlist’s quality before you pitch.
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