What are Streaming Royalties?

Streaming royalties are payments made to music rights holders when a song is played on a digital streaming platform. Each time a track is streamed by a listener, the platform generates a small amount of revenue that is distributed among the owners of the music rights, including artists, songwriters, publishers, and record labels.

Streaming royalties typically come from platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. These services earn money through subscriptions and advertising, and a portion of that revenue is paid out to rights holders based on how often songs are streamed.

The revenue from each stream is usually divided between the master recording rights holders (such as record labels or artists) and the publishing rights holders (such as songwriters and publishers). While the amount earned per stream is typically small, streaming royalties can add up significantly as songs accumulate large numbers of plays across digital platforms.