How does Deezer's royalty rate compare to Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows estimates vary widely but cluster around Deezer paying modestly more per stream than Spotify while Apple Music and TIDAL generally pay more than both. Example published estimates: Deezer ≈ $0.005–$0.0064 per stream, Spotify ≈ $0.003–$0.005, Apple Music ≈ $0.01, and TIDAL ≈ $0.012–$0.013 in recent 2025 summaries [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Numbers on paper: headline per‑stream estimates
Multiple industry summaries and calculators produce different dollar figures, but a consistent picture emerges: Deezer sits between Spotify’s lower averages and Apple/TIDAL’s higher averages. RouteNote reported Deezer at $0.0064 per stream [2]. TREBLAB offered a similar midrange estimate for Deezer of about $0.00562 versus Spotify’s $0.00348 [1]. By contrast, Ditto and other roundups put Apple Music near $0.01 and TIDAL around $0.012–$0.013 per stream [3] [4].
2. Why the headline numbers disagree: different methods, regions and assumptions
Sources use distinct methodologies — some average across paid and ad tiers, others model only premium plays; others rely on individual artists’ receipts or platform‑level revenue shares. Royalty calculators and blogs warn there’s no fixed “per‑stream” rate because payouts depend on subscription mix, regional pricing, and rights‑holder splits [5]. That explains why Deezer’s per‑stream figure ranges in reporting from roughly $0.0011 (as a low bound cited by Royalty Exchange) to several thousandths of a dollar in other outlets [4] [2].
3. The business logic behind the gaps
Platforms with higher shares of paying subscribers and higher subscription prices yield higher average payouts per stream; TIDAL’s paid‑first model and Apple’s lack of a large free tier push their averages up [4] [3]. Spotify’s enormous free and ad‑supported base has been identified repeatedly as a reason its average per‑stream payouts trend lower, though Spotify and some defenders dispute simple per‑stream comparisons [6] [7]. Deezer markets a “user‑centric” payment approach that can favor artists with engaged subscriber followings, which analysts say helps it land between Spotify and Apple/TIDAL [6].
4. Rules and recent policy changes that shift math
Recent platform changes affect comparability: Spotify introduced a threshold requiring a track to hit 1,000 streams in 12 months before it generates certain recording royalty payments, a policy that alters how small artists experience payouts and can depress headline per‑stream averages [8] [2]. Deezer and others have experimented with UCPS (user‑centric payment system) and caps on monetizable plays to combat artificial streaming and reallocate money to engaged listeners’ artists [6]. These policy shifts change effective per‑stream values in practice, not just in headline tables.
5. What “pays more” actually means for artists
A higher nominal per‑stream number doesn’t automatically translate into more take‑home pay for every artist. Rights splits, label/distributor contracts, and which listeners stream you (paid vs ad) determine what lands in the creator’s pocket [5]. Several sources emphasize that overall revenue potential also depends on platform reach: Spotify’s massive user base can still produce larger gross sums for some acts despite lower per‑stream averages [7] [1].
6. Conflicting data and limitations of the record
Available sources disagree on low and high bounds — Royalty Exchange lists a Deezer low of $0.0011 while RouteNote and TREBLAB offer mid‑to‑high five‑thousandths figures [4] [2] [1]. Independent calculators and blogs are useful but rely on assumptions that may not match a given artist’s deal or geographic mix [5] [9]. Sources also report different market‑share and subscriber figures for platforms, which directly affect payout averages [6] [10].
7. What independent artists should do next
Track your actual receipts through your distributor and compare them to platform analytics, because publicly cited averages are rough guides, not guarantees [5]. Consider where your fanbase lives and whether they use paid tiers; a smaller share of high‑value paid listeners on Deezer or Apple Music can beat mass ad‑supported plays on Spotify even if total streams are lower [6] [3]. Use multiple calculators and audit months where you have detailed data to build a realistic earnings model [9] [5].
8. Bottom line — a cautious summary
In current reporting Deezer’s per‑stream estimates generally place it above Spotify’s average but below Apple Music and TIDAL [1] [2] [3] [4]. The precise gap depends on which study or calculator you accept and on artist‑specific factors like rights splits, listener geography and subscription mix; available sources show variation and do not produce a single authoritative per‑stream rate [5].