today, providing a breakdown of some 2021 metrics for how artists, publishers, and rights holders actually make money off Spotify streams.. Spotify paid out over $7 billion to artists, labels, and the other moving pieces of the music industry last year, up from $5 billion last year. Over 16,500 artists’ catalogs earned at least $50,000 in royalties in 2021, compared to 13,400 in 2020, and over 1,000 artists cracked $1 million from Spotify streaming for the first time .
Of course, Spotify seems to be specifically picking numbers that showcase its contributions to the music industry in the best light — nothing on the Loud & Clear website portrays Spotify’s royalty rates as anything other than a net positive for the industry, something that musicians clearly don’t see eye to eye on .