We want to be clear and upfront about what these numbers show: Spotify royalties only. Our focus is on growing that total payout to artists and songwriters. Both our own and third-party data shows that growth is indisputable.
This growth is accelerating. Artists earning $100K+ per year have more than tripled since 2017.
Spotify is powering careers at every level:
- 81,000+ artists earned $10K+ in 2025 (up 3x from 2017)
- 13,800 earned $100K+ (up 3x from 2017)
- Over 1,500 earned $1M+ (up 3x from 2017)
Remember: Spotify accounts for about 30% of global recorded music revenue. So an artist earning $10K on Spotify likely made around $30K total from all recording sources that year.
These numbers also don’t include touring, merch, brand deals, or other income. Here’s what’s important: the audience you build on Spotify can fuel all of those other revenue streams. Discovery on Spotify is often the foundation for a full career.