Unlike physical sales which pay artists when a song or album is sold, music streaming platforms pays royalties to artists based on the number streams or download. Every day new streaming platforms are being created and new innovations being implemented in the existing platforms to enhance music consumption online. Most websites and apps provide free music streaming and download to users in form of music promotion, artists end up not earning on such platforms.
Most of free music platforms are common in African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, among others. Most companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, has created streaming services to help artists and other stake holders in music industry to make money online from their contents in different countries. Now let’s look into online music platforms that will pay you when your music is uploaded on them.
Best 15 Online Music Streaming Services That Pay Artists
1. Spotify: Is a Swedish audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 and it’s one of the largest providers of music streaming services, with over 640 million monthly active users. It is available in over 180 countries all over the world and gives users access to a large catalog of music.
Spotify pays royalties between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream and this can vary depending on certain factors such as artist country of origin, user streaming location, user streaming type and subscription mode amongst other factors. So if you can upload your music on spotify and earn from it’s wide user base.
2. YouTube: Is an American online video sharing platform founded on February 14, 2005 and it is owned by Google. YouTube is available in over 100 countries and has over 80 language translations, as of 2024 has over 2.5 billion monthly active user base worldwide.
Earnings from YouTube depends on different factors such as viewer’s location, artist or creator’s country of origin, type of advert displayed among others. Youtube is the choice especially if you are dealing with video music.
3. Amazon Music: Is a music streaming service by Amazon inc. It has a wide music library of over 100 million songs. Amazon music offers subscription model and pay per download option to users. Amazon Music pays artists between $0.004 and $0.007 per stream and this depends on several factors such as user subscription plan, user’s streaming location, agreements between Amazon company and music rights holder, among other factors.
4. Apple Music: Is a music streaming service by Apple Inc and has over 100 million songs. Apple music is available in over 167 countries worldwide and it pays artists per stream averagely $0.01 per play however this varies based on a number of factors such as stream by country, user subscription plan, artist’s deal and many other factors.
5. Audiomack: Is a music streaming services founded in 2012 and it pays artists royalties $0.001 to $0.005 per stream and this depends on a number of factors including user streaming location, user subscription type amongst other factors. Audiomack has a wide library of music and has over 36 million monthly active users globally.
6. Boomplay: Is a music streaming service in Africa in founded in 2015 by Transsnet Music Limited, Boomplay was mostly know because of it’s distribution by Tecno Mobile in Nigeria. It has over 100 million songs and it pays artists around $0.0064 per stream based on different factors, It also pays per download also basing on certain factors including subscription type.
7. TIDAL: launched in 2014 Is a Norwegian-American music streaming service by Aspiro and has wide library of music with over 110 million songs, it pays artists between $0.01 and $0.05 per stream based on some factors including the contract between artist and Tidal.
8. Pandora Music: is a US-based music streaming service founded in 2000. It has a wide music library of over 40 million songs and pays artists an average of $0.00133 per stream based different factors.
9. Qobuz: Is a French music streaming service founded in 2007 has over 100 million songs. Qobuz pays artists around $0.022 per stream which is based some factors and may vary depending on your location and user base.
10. ITunes Store: Is a media player, media library utility by Apple founded January 9, 2001. With music users can use it to buy, download, play, and organize music library on their apple devices. iTunes pays artists based on percentage of the revenue from songs or albums sold. In other words it’s a pay per download platform unlike other streaming platforms like apple music, spotify, boomplay among others.
11. Deezer: is a French music streaming service founded in 2007 has over 120 million songs and pays artists around $0.0064 per stream based different factors including user streaming location, artists location, among other factors.
12. Anghami: is a music streaming service founded in Lebanon in 2012 with headquarters in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It has over 100 million songs and pays artists per stream based on certain factors as described on their website.
13. Gaana Music: is an Indian music streaming service launched in April 2010 and currently have over 30 million songs. Gaana pay Rs 0.10–0.15 per stream to artists and this varies per company.
14. Mdundo: Is Kenyan online music streaming service with over 37.8 million monthly active users and operating in sub-Saharan Africa. It pays artists a share of the revenue generated from advertisements on the site and in the songs which depends on the number of downloads.
15. Ugadeals: This is a Ugandan online music store founded in September 2024 and It is a pay per download platform unlike other streaming platforms. Similarly to iTunes, users pay to download audio song to their devices for offline use and it pays artists based on percentage of the revenue from songs or albums sold. Ugadeals is open to all artists all over the world but mostly African countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, DR Congo, South Sudan, and many others.
Conclusion:
With all the available stream platforms both local and international, depending on your target audience and promotions you have higher abilities to unlock your music success.
