Most of the data on Loud & Clear focuses just on what an artist has generated on Spotify alone. To get a fuller picture of what an artist might have generated across all revenue streams, there are three ways to think about it:
Streaming (3x): Spotify represents about a third of global revenue generated from all streaming services. An individual artist’s proportion may vary, based on their genre, fanbase, and marketing strategies, but on average, you can multiply Spotify royalties by roughly three to estimate what an artist may have generated across all streaming services. So $100,000 from Spotify might be $300,000 from streaming overall.
Recorded Revenue (4x): Based on IFPI data, Spotify represents nearly 25% of global recorded revenue. Recorded revenue means all the money generated from the music recording itself — including streaming, physical sales (CDs, vinyl), sync, performance rights, and digital downloads. Again, an individual artist’s proportion of Spotify revenue can vary, but on average, you can multiply Spotify royalties by roughly four to estimate how much an artist might have generated across all global recorded revenue. So $100,000 from Spotify might be $400,000 in total recorded revenue.
Total Revenue: The figures shared on this site also do not account for non-recorded revenue streams — like concerts, merch, brand sponsorships, and more. These revenue streams are additional to recorded revenue and can vary in size.