How Much Do Top Artists Make on Spotify

How Much Do Top Artists Make on Spotify?

By Ramiro

Updated: October 3, 2023

Have you ever wondered what the biggest names in music are earning from the popular streaming platform, Spotify?

In this article, we are going to pull back the curtain on this intriguing topic, breaking it down so that it’s easy to understand, even if you’re not an industry insider.

We’ll start by unpacking the complexities of Spotify’s payment system, demystifying the formula that determines how much each artist earns per stream.

We’ll then move on to specific examples, exploring the earnings of top artists.

Prepare to be surprised as we delve into the big numbers.

This information might not only alter your perception of the music industry, but also inspire you to explore new ways artists can leverage their talent for financial gain.

By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of what it truly means to be a ‘top artist’ on Spotify, from a financial standpoint.

Whether you’re an aspiring artist, an avid music fan, or someone simply intrigued by the economics of the music industry, this article has something for everyone.

Explore how you can get paid to listen to music and delve into the diverse facets of the musical landscape.

Read on to unlock the mysteries of music streaming revenue.

Key Takeaways:

How Much Does Spotify Pay Artists?

Spotify pays rights holders on a per-stream basis. 

The rate varies by market, but is generally fractions of a cent per play, with the average payout being between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream. 

That money is then distributed amongst rights holders, which can include record labels, publishers, and other entities, which then pay a portion to the artist.

It’s important to note that the rate can vary based on a variety of factors, such as the listener’s country, the artist’s royalty rate, and whether the listener is a free or premium subscriber.

However, it’s also known that Spotify usually strikes special deals with their top artists, possibly ensuring them a rate on the higher end of the range mentioned above.

We used that $0.005 per stream figure to estimate the earnings shown below.

Top 50 Spotify Artists' Revenue

RankArtistMonthly ListenersMonthly StreamsMonthly RevenueWeekly RevenueDaily RevenueHourly RevenueRevenue per Minute
1The Weeknd108.790.000271.975.000$1.359.875$339.969$48.567$2.024$34
2Ed Sheeran86.490.000216.225.000$1.081.125$270.281$38.612$1.609$27
3Taylor Swift84.620.000211.550.000$1.057.750$264.438$37.777$1.574$26
4Miley Cyrus77.580.000193.950.000$969.750$242.438$34.634$1.443$24
5Rihanna75.810.000189.525.000$947.625$236.906$33.844$1.410$24
6Justin Bieber73.260.000183.150.000$915.750$228.938$32.705$1.363$23
7Shakira73.090.000182.725.000$913.625$228.406$32.629$1.360$23
8Ariana Grande72.620.000181.550.000$907.750$226.938$32.420$1.351$23
9David Guetta72.420.000181.050.000$905.250$226.313$32.330$1.347$22
10Bad Bunny71.470.000178.675.000$893.375$223.344$31.906$1.329$22
11Drake71.000.000177.500.000$887.500$221.875$31.696$1.321$22
12Eminem66.820.000167.050.000$835.250$208.813$29.830$1.243$21
13SZA66.380.000165.950.000$829.750$207.438$29.634$1.235$21
14Coldplay66.000.000165.000.000$825.000$206.250$29.464$1.228$20
15Calvin Harris65.590.000163.975.000$819.875$204.969$29.281$1.220$20
16Harry Styles64.850.000162.125.000$810.625$202.656$28.951$1.206$20
17Dua Lipa61.740.000154.350.000$771.750$192.938$27.563$1.148$19
18Imagine Dragons61.550.000153.875.000$769.375$192.344$27.478$1.145$19
19Bruno Mars61.140.000152.850.000$764.250$191.063$27.295$1.137$19
20Post Malone59.400.000148.500.000$742.500$185.625$26.518$1.105$18
21Sam Smith58.530.000146.325.000$731.625$182.906$26.129$1.089$18
22Selena Gomez58.420.000146.050.000$730.250$182.563$26.080$1.087$18
23Future58.240.000145.600.000$728.000$182.000$26.000$1.083$18
2421 Savage57.760.000144.400.000$722.000$180.500$25.786$1.074$18
25Marshmello57.040.000142.600.000$713.000$178.250$25.464$1.061$18
26Maroon 555.820.000139.550.000$697.750$174.438$24.920$1.038$17
27Lady Gaga55.410.000138.525.000$692.625$173.156$24.737$1.031$17
28Kanye West54.650.000136.625.000$683.125$170.781$24.397$1.017$17
29Billie Eilish54.270.000135.675.000$678.375$169.594$24.228$1.009$17
30Khalid53.940.000134.850.000$674.250$168.563$24.080$1.003$17
31Doja Cat53.880.000134.700.000$673.500$168.375$24.054$1.002$17
32Adele53.620.000134.050.000$670.250$167.563$23.938$997$17
33J Balvin52.960.000132.400.000$662.000$165.500$23.643$985$16
34Katy Perry52.740.000131.850.000$659.250$164.813$23.545$981$16
35Nicki Minaj52.307.000130.767.500$653.838$163.459$23.351$973$16
36Metro Boomin52.306.000130.765.000$653.825$163.456$23.351$973$16
37Daddy Yankee51.420.000128.550.000$642.750$160.688$22.955$956$16
38Chris Brown50.740.000126.850.000$634.250$158.563$22.652$944$16
39Travis Scott50.600.000126.500.000$632.500$158.125$22.589$941$16
40Karol G50.160.000125.400.000$627.000$156.750$22.393$933$16
41Rauw Alejandro49.650.000124.125.000$620.625$155.156$22.165$924$15
42Beyoncé49.220.000123.050.000$615.250$153.813$21.973$916$15
43Elton John48.970.000122.425.000$612.125$153.031$21.862$911$15
44Ozuna48.820.000122.050.000$610.250$152.563$21.795$908$15
45OneRepublic48.270.000120.675.000$603.375$150.844$21.549$898$15
46Peso Pluma47.900.000119.750.000$598.750$149.688$21.384$891$15
47Queen47.640.000119.100.000$595.500$148.875$21.268$886$15
48Sia47.150.000117.875.000$589.375$147.344$21.049$877$15
49Shawn Mendes46.030.000115.075.000$575.375$143.844$20.549$856$14
50Bebe Rexha45.640.000114.100.000$570.500$142.625$20.375$849$14

Methodology and Data Sources

  • Official Spotify monthly listeners data as of May 2023
  • Own calculations based on a conservative average of 2.5 track streams per monthly listener and a $0.005 per stream rate