There are many way to get your music out to the public, one of the most common ways of doing it is by earning through plays on every stream. Streaming services vary from anything on Youtube or Spotify to Apple Music and even Amazon!
Streaming:
Here is a list (from highest to lowest) of the most used music streaming websites and how much they pay per stream, download, play and/or share:
Napster: $0.019 per stream
Tidal : $0.0125 per stream
Apple Music: $0.00735 per stream
Google Play Music: $0.00676 per stream
Deezer: $0.00640 per stream
Spotify: $0.00473 per stream
Amazon Music: $0.00402 per stream
Pandora Premium: $0.00133 per stream
YouTube: $0.00069 per stream
Soundcloud:
Soundcloud is by far the most complicated service at the moment. Rates vary depending on the countries that play the music and you would need access to monetize your account either directly or though an affiliate distributor. Most accounts don’t make any money at all, and the ones that are monetized are paid based on how many people click the ads on the streams.
Here’s a general breakdown: $0.0025 to $0.004/stream (~$2.50–$4.00/1000 plays.)
It’s an average of about $3 / 1000 plays.
That being said, the pay also varies depending on what country that play comes from.
How to earn the minimum wage?
Here’s a breakdown of what it would take to make about $1,160 per month in the United States for each streaming service:
Napster: 61,052
Tidal : 92,800
Apple Music: 157,823
Google Play Music: 171,598
Deezer: 181,250
Spotify: 245,243
Amazon Music: 288,557
Pandora Premium: 872,180
YouTube: 1,681,159
How to get started:
A easy way to get started on monetizing your music on streaming services is by reading our blog on Music Distribution. You’ll see a list of the top music distribution sites, rates, and royalty splits (if any). Check that out here:
Depending on the platform on where your music gets heard, you may find your checks coming in a little fatter. This information may be useful to you to determine where you want to focus your marketing strategy. You might find that Youtube has a larger audience and it may be easier to rack up your streams, but the pay is substantially lower.
Depending on your individual goals you may opt to try to push your existing audience to follow you and listen on a more suitable streaming service.
Spotify ad studio is essentially an advertising platform that makes it possible for anyone to create an ad and manage it through the Spotify platform. If you are a musician, a band, or a business owner – especially in the music industry, this platform is perfect for you. It targets people who are already interested in the industry and it allows for greater communication with your followers and potential fans. Spotify offers different types of Campaign Objectives for whatever you are looking to promote.
How to sign up:
In order to sign up, you need to start with a Spotify account then sign up for Ad Studio. If you already have an existing Spotify account, then you should already be able to sign up for Ad Studio.
Types of Ads:
– 30 second (or less) audio recording that will be listened to by users who have the free subscription to Spotify – Your ad includes a clickable image which is presented on the screen for the duration of the ad and is linked to the landing page of your choice (your website, your Spotify account, a page to purchase tickets/RSVP, etc.).
How to create your first ad (once you’ve created an account with ad studio):
– Choose your objective:
The first step in this process is to name your ad and select an objective (this is your end goal. Do you want to promote your next show? Your new song? Your new merch release? Etc.) Whatever your end goal is, keep it in mind as you create your ad.
– Select your audience and your budget:
If you haven’t figured out your target demographic, it’s time to get on that, because it is highly important when it comes to setting your ad up for success.
Also, make sure you are promoting your ad in a timely manner. If your show is tomorrow, then it’s probably not a good idea to create an ad. Depending on what you are trying to get the word out about, you probably want to promote it between 2-4 weeks before the day of. This allows your followers and listeners to make plans to be there or tune in that day. When it comes to your budget, think about how many people you want to reach and how much you are willing to spend to reach them. When it comes to budgeting for an ad, it’s not about how much you spend, but HOW you spend it. Be smart and do your research.
Lastly, you will need to schedule your ad. The benefit of doing everything in a timely manner is that it gives you the opportunity to fix any issues if they happen to come up.
– Create your ad:
This is where you can get creative and start adding your image, your voice recording and your link. When it comes to all of these things, make sure that they are enticing. Make sure your voice recording is clear and that the message is straight and to the point, remember you have 30 seconds. It is also important that whoever is speaking is not monotone, or too excited, a nice middle point is just right. For your photo make sure that it is appropriate for your audience and that it reflects your brand and your message in the right way.
– Submit for approval:
Lastly, once you submit Spotify will review your ad and ensure that it aligns with their community guidelines. Once they have approved your ad, then you are good to go and your ad will launch on the day it’s been scheduled.
As music makers, this is an exciting and innovative feature that Spotify has created. It is now easier than ever for artists to create awareness of their work and to spread the word about what they are doing.
