Spotify has announced a record payment of 10,000 million dollars in copyright for 2024which means the most important sum in its history. A huge and round figure with which it reinforces its role in the music industry, although it does not dissipate the discontent of many artists with the compensation they receive. The sustainability of the streaming income model remains in debate.
It should be remembered in this regard that money is distributed between record stamps, editorials and rights organizations, not directly with artists, although they end up receiving something, of course. The amount, of course, depends on their contracts with these intermediaries, which aggravates criticism about the unequal cast.
Spotify uses a prorated model, since the income of an artist does not depend only on the number of reproductions, but on the total volume on the platform. On average pay a lot 0.003 and $ 0.005 per reproductionso an artist needs 250,000 views to generate about $ 1,000. Without accurate that are worth, because it is not always paid the same. Factors such as the listener’s country or if the account is free or premium, in addition, can alter the rate.
That is why despite record payment, gains for reproduction remain a reason for discord. There are many artists who argue that the system favors large stars, distributing minimal income with the rest. And a recent analysis ratifies it: only a small fraction of musicians gains significant sums in Spotify, while most receive insufficient compensations.
With data from last exercise, Only 4.4% of artists obtained more than $ 100,000 annually On the platform, all evidence of the great disparity of income. And not only that: the criticism of the algorithms and reproduction lists of Spotify can and their favoritism for certain genres, limiting the visibility of niche musicians and exacerbating inequalities, they are the order of the day.
Also, Spotify pays less by reproduction, compared to other services. Apple Music, for example, offers about $ 0.01 per listening, more than double; Amazon Music also has higher rates, between 0.004 and 0.007 dollars. However, and even if these differences have led some artists to prioritize some platforms above others, Spotify remains key to its large listener base and its impact on the industry.
