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How much are you owed but never collected?
Every other royalty calculator tells you what your streams earned. That's one of six ways your music makes money — and the other five don't show up unless you go and claim them. This one shows you what you're leaving behind.
Across all platforms, all time.
Which are you set up to collect?
Be honest — most artists tick none of these.
What your streams earned
$445
Estimated recording royalties on 100,000 streams — the money a distributor pays out.
What you may never have collected
$111
On top of the above — and it doesn't come to you automatically. Nobody sends it unless you're registered to receive it.
Plus neighbouring rights and YouTube Content ID — real income we can't estimate from stream counts alone, because it depends on where and how your music gets used. It's money too.
Stop leaving it behind.
Our free Release Kit breaks down all six royalty types, who pays each one, and how to register so the money actually reaches you.
Get the free Release Kit →Instant download · no account needed
How this is calculated:per-stream rates are blended industry estimates and we use the conservative end. Real payouts vary by listener country, whether they're on a paid or free tier, and each platform's monthly revenue pool. Publishing income is modelled as a share of recording income. Treat these as ballpark figures for planning, not a statement of what you are owed.
The six ways your music earns
Most artists collect one or two of these. Every one you skip is money sitting in a pool somewhere with nobody's name on it.
Recording (master)
Paid by your distributor when your track is streamed or sold. This is the one everybody knows about.
Mechanical
The songwriting side of every stream and sale. Collected in the US through the MLC — free to join, and most artists never do.
Performance
Earned whenever your song is played publicly: radio, venues, TV, streaming. Collected by a PRO like ASCAP or BMI.
Neighbouring rights
Pays the performer and rights holder when the recording is played publicly outside the US. Almost nobody claims it.
Sync
Placement in film, TV, games and ads. A single placement can outpay a year of streaming.
YouTube Content ID
Pays you when anyone else's video uses your music — covers, edits, fan uploads, all of it.
Common questions
How much does Spotify pay per stream?
There's no fixed rate. Payouts commonly work out around $0.003–$0.005 per stream, but the real figure depends on the listener's country, whether they're on a paid or free tier, and Spotify's total revenue that month. This calculator uses the conservative end of industry estimates.
What royalties am I not collecting?
Most independent artists collect only the recording (master) royalty their distributor pays. The publishing side — mechanical royalties via the MLC and performance royalties via a PRO like ASCAP or BMI — sits uncollected unless you register. Neighbouring rights and YouTube Content ID are two more income streams that never arrive automatically.
Is it too late to claim old royalties?
Usually not. Collection societies hold unclaimed royalties for years, so registering now can recover money from releases you put out well in the past. The sooner you register, the less you risk aging out of a claim window.
Does registering with the MLC or a PRO cost anything?
Joining the MLC is free. PROs vary — some charge a one-time affiliation fee, others are free to join. Both take a small commission on what they collect, but that's a fraction of money you'd otherwise never see at all.
How accurate is this calculator?
It's an estimate for planning, not a statement of what you're owed. Per-stream rates are blended industry averages at the conservative end, and publishing income is modelled as a share of recording income. Your actual figures depend on your specific catalogue, splits, and where your listeners are.
Want the full breakdown?
The free Release Kit covers all six royalty types, who pays each one, and the exact steps to register — plus a distributor cheat sheet and release-day checklist.
Get the free Release Kit →