YouTube Music pays roughly $0.002 to $0.008 per stream in 2026 (Ones To Watch). The biggest factor is who listens. A play from a paying Premium subscriber pays several times more than a play from a free listener who hears ads. YouTube does not publish an official rate, so every number you see is an estimate from payout data.
Premium plays vs free plays
YouTube runs two kinds of listening, and they pay very differently.
- Premium subscribers generate the higher end, roughly $0.004 to $0.008 per play.
- Free, ad-supported listeners generate much less, often $0.002 or below, because the money comes only from ads.
One analysis of about 5,000 YouTube streams from March 2025 found a weighted average near $0.007 per stream, with single plays ranging from almost nothing to $0.015 (LabelGrid). Your own average depends on how many of your listeners pay.
YouTube said back in 2019 that its subscription streams pay a rate comparable to Spotify's (Digital Music News). The ad-supported side is what pulls the average down.
YouTube Music vs regular YouTube videos
YouTube Music and the main YouTube app share one catalogue, but the money flows in different ways. A song played in YouTube Music counts as an audio stream and pays from the music pool. A music video on YouTube earns from ads shown on that video, and the share depends on your distributor and whether Content ID claims the upload. Fan uploads that use your song can also earn you money through Content ID, if your distributor registers the track.
What 1,000 and 1 million plays pay
Using the 2026 range of $0.002 to $0.008:
| Streams | Gross payout |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $2 to $8 |
| 100,000 | $200 to $800 |
| 1,000,000 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
The spread is wide because the Premium share varies so much between artists. Before you plan with these figures, subtract your label or distributor share.
How YouTube Music compares
Third-party estimates for 2026 put the services in this rough order (Ones To Watch):
| Service | Estimated pay per stream |
|---|---|
| Tidal | $0.012 to $0.015 |
| Apple Music | $0.008 to $0.010 |
| YouTube Music | $0.002 to $0.008 |
| Deezer | $0.003 to $0.006 |
| Spotify | $0.003 to $0.005 |
| Amazon Music | about $0.004 |
YouTube Music can beat Spotify for artists with a Premium-heavy audience and fall below it for artists whose fans listen for free. For the full picture, see Which Streaming Service Pays Artists the Most.
How to earn more from YouTube
- 1. Register your music with Content ID through your distributor, so fan uploads and covers pay you.
- 2. Turn on an Official Artist Channel so your videos and Topic channel merge and your audience sees one place.
- 3. Push your Premium listeners to your releases. Paying listeners are worth several times more per play.
- 4. Give fans a direct way to pay you. Streams from any pool pay fractions of a cent. A pay-per-play service like fjalla pays the artist 1.2 cents for every play, with no pool and no ad tier.
You can compare your own numbers across services with the royalty calculator.
FAQ
How much does YouTube Music pay per stream?
Roughly $0.002 to $0.008 per stream in 2026. Premium plays sit at the top of the range, ad-supported plays at the bottom.
How much does YouTube Music pay per 1,000 streams?
About $2 to $8 per 1,000 streams before your label or distributor takes its share.
Does YouTube Music pay more than Spotify?
Sometimes. Premium streams on YouTube Music pay about the same as or more than Spotify. Ad-supported plays pay less, so artists with mostly free listeners earn less on YouTube.
Does YouTube pay for music in other people's videos?
Yes, if your distributor registers your tracks with Content ID. YouTube then shares ad revenue from videos that use your music.
Why doesn't YouTube publish a fixed rate?
YouTube pays from pooled subscription and ad revenue, so each play is worth a share of the pool. The value changes every month and in every country.
