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Apple Music Royalty Calculator

Apple Music pays more per stream than Spotify — there's no free tier. Enter your streams to estimate your payout at 2026 rates. Free, instant, fully editable.

Your streams
Distributor / label share
Estimated royalties
Your payout
$0
$0
Per 1,000 streams
$0
Gross (before share)
0
Streams for $1,000
Apple Music pays roughly $0.007–$0.01 per stream (most artists land near $0.01) — higher than Spotify because every Apple Music listener is a paying subscriber (no free tier). It still uses a pro-rata pool, so the exact rate shifts with listener countries and the monthly pool. Royalties pay to your distributor/label, who pay your share. Estimate only.

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How Apple Music royalties work (2026)

Like Spotify, Apple Music pays from a pro-rata revenue pool rather than a fixed rate — but its pool is richer because there's no free, ad-supported tier. Every listener pays, so revenue-per-stream is higher: roughly $0.007–$0.01, often cited as "about a penny a stream."

StreamsApprox. royalties @ $0.01
1,000~$10
100,000~$1,000
1,000,000~$10,000

Estimates at 2026 rates; actual payout varies by listener country and the monthly pool, and is reported by your distributor. Not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Apple Music pay per stream in 2026?

Roughly $0.007–$0.01, with most artists near $0.01 — notably higher than Spotify's ~$0.004. The reason is Apple Music has no free tier, so every stream comes from a paying subscriber.

Apple Music vs Spotify — which pays more?

Per stream, Apple Music (about 2–3× Spotify's rate). But Spotify usually has more listeners, so total earnings depend on where your audience actually streams. Compare both with our Spotify royalty calculator.

Do I keep all the royalties?

If you distribute independently (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby), generally ~100% after their flat fee. On a label deal you keep a negotiated share — set it in the advanced options.