Which music streaming service pays artists the highest royalty per stream?

1. Niche and nontraditional platforms often pay the most

Multiple 2025 roundups place smaller or nontraditional DSPs at the top of per‑stream payouts: an industry summary ranks Peloton at about $0.03 per stream and Napster at roughly $0.019–$0.021, with Qobuz and TIDAL also among the leaders ^[1]. MusicRadar’s reporting on musician Benn Jordan’s data likewise highlights Peloton and specialist services as surprising leaders in artist per‑stream receipts ^[4]. These platforms have smaller user bases or different business models (fitness subscriptions, audiophile paywalls) that concentrate more revenue per play ^{[1] [4]}.

2. TIDAL and Qobuz: the audiophile advantage

Across several sources TIDAL and Qobuz are repeatedly named as among the highest paying mainstream‑available streaming services, with TIDAL often cited around $0.0128–$0.0133 per stream and Qobuz near $0.0136 ^{[2] [3] [1]}. Writers attribute this to higher subscription prices and artist‑centric branding; calculators and guides show TIDAL requiring roughly 76–80K streams to reach $1,000 at those rates ^{[5] [6]}.

3. Apple Music sits high among big tech platforms

Apple Music’s premium‑only model yields higher per‑stream averages than ad‑supported hybrids: several summaries estimate Apple Music at roughly $0.01 per stream, placing it behind TIDAL/Qobuz but well ahead of Spotify’s average ^{[3] [6]}. This reflects that Apple has no free tier and more revenue per active stream to divide among rights holders ^[3].

4. Spotify and YouTube Music: reach vs. revenue

Longstanding coverage underscores Spotify’s low per‑stream averages (commonly quoted $0.003–$0.005, with some sources 0.0029–0.005), and YouTube Music shows the widest dispersion in estimates — from extremely low (~$0.00069) to mid‑range (~$0.007–$0.008) depending on sample and whether ad or premium plays are counted ^{[4] [2] [1]}. Journalists and distribution sites consistently frame these platforms as offering exposure and discovery but lower per‑stream cash ^{[4] [1]}.

5. Figures differ because each data set measures different things

Published “per‑stream” numbers are estimates derived from samples, calculators or a single artist’s receipts; they are not a single standardized metric. Sources show variation (e.g., YouTube Music averages range from $0.00069 to $0.0071 depending on the dataset; TIDAL posts between ~$0.01284 and ~$0.0133) because payouts depend on subscription mix, territory, contractual splits and whether reporting counts master, publishing or both ^{[2] [3] [5]}. Several outlets warn per‑stream averages are only illustrative ^{[6] [7]}.

6. Business incentives and hidden agendas in reporting

Many summaries come from distribution blogs, aggregator calculators or artist‑facing sites that may emphasize metrics useful to their audience; one investor‑oriented guide repeats a TIDAL‑leading figure while MusicRadar highlights Benn Jordan’s independent analysis that elevates Peloton ^{[3] [4]}. Readers should note outlets may use selective samples or artist‑owned narratives to support an argument that “smaller equals fairer” — which aligns with some platforms’ marketing ^{[4] [8]}.

7. Practical takeaway for artists and listeners

If your goal is maximum per‑stream income, available reporting identifies Peloton and Napster (where listed) and audiophile services (Qobuz, TIDAL) as the highest payers per stream in 2025, with Apple Music next and mainstream ad‑supported services paying less ^{[1] [2] [3]}. However, sources also stress that discovery, marketing, and overall listener numbers on platforms like Spotify and YouTube often matter more to career growth than raw per‑stream cents ^{[1] [4]}.

Limitations and what’s not found in current reporting: available sources do not provide a single industry‑verified, cross‑platform standardized per‑stream table; figures are sample‑based and vary by methodology ^{[2] [1] [3]}. Use the cited pages for underlying calculators and read their methodology before drawing hard conclusions ^{[7] [6]}.