Apple Music’s per-stream payout is meaningfully higher than Spotify’s — about 2.85x for US premium listeners. The reason is structural, not promotional: Apple Music has no free/ad-supported tier, so 100% of listening revenue comes from paying subscribers. The calculator above estimates what you net per period given your stream count, country mix, and distributor.
Apple Music vs Spotify, in numbers
| Metric | Apple Music | Spotify |
|---|---|---|
| US premium per-stream | $0.008 | $0.0028 |
| Free tier | None | ~30% of premium |
| 1,000-stream threshold | None | Yes (since April 2024) |
| Discovery Mode | None | 30% rate cut on opted-in tracks |
| Editorial vs algorithmic | Editorial-led | Algorithm-led |
For 100,000 US premium streams: Apple Music ~$800 gross; Spotify ~$280 gross. The gap shrinks somewhat once distributor fees are accounted for (TuneCore’s $18 is a smaller proportion of $800 than of $280), but Apple Music wins on per-stream economics straightforwardly.
The catch: Apple Music’s user base is smaller. Most indie artists see 2-4x more streams on Spotify than Apple Music. Total revenue often ends up similar across the two platforms, with Spotify slightly ahead on total volume and Apple Music ahead on per-stream rate.
When Apple Music matters more for an artist
A few cases where focusing on Apple Music exposure pays off disproportionately:
- Deep catalogue artists — no 1,000-stream threshold means every track pays out, even sparse-stream album tracks.
- Curated/editorial-pitchable music — Apple Music’s editorial team is more active in promoting album-format and curated genres (jazz, classical, world music, instrumental) where Spotify’s algorithm provides less natural lift.
- High-fidelity / Atmos releases — Apple Music’s lossless and spatial audio formats get editorial spotlight; some bonus rate applies.
- Artists with US, Scandinavian, or Japanese audiences — Apple Music’s per-stream rate in those markets is even higher than the US baseline.
What this calculator doesn’t model
- Spatial audio / lossless rate bonuses — Apple Music pays slightly more for spatial-audio streams. Bonus is small and not yet uniformly disclosed.
- Editorial placement uplift — a feature on a major Apple Music editorial playlist can multiply your stream count by 10x. The calculator handles whatever stream count you input but doesn’t predict placements.
- Songwriting royalties — paid separately via PRS/MCPS to songwriters, not via Apple Music’s per-stream rate. Adds ~$0.0005-$0.0015 per stream typically.
- Tax — US self-employment income; see side hustle tax calculator for the actual liability above the $400 self-employment threshold.