Streaming trap: Most musicians earn peanuts but can't afford opt-out
16.04.2026, DPA
Photo: Robert Michael/dpa
Streaming has become essential for musicians worldwide, yet for most artists Spotify, Apple Music and the like don't pay the bills, a new international study found.
A survey by the UK’s Oxford Internet Institute and the Netherlands’ University of Groningen focused on musicians "who are neither rich nor famous and make up the vast majority of music artists around the world."
Researchers highlight what they call a "streaming paradox" - artists depend on platforms like Spotify for visibility, but earn little from them.
Last year, the researchers surveyed 1,198 musicians from Brazil, Chile, the Netherlands, Nigeria and South Korea. While 42% said they already work in music full-time, 53% hope to do so in the future.
The financial reality, however, is stark: 77% earned less than €10,000 annually from their music in the year prior to the study. Nearly a third (29%) made under €1,000, and 26% reported no income at all from their musical activities.
This "streaming paradox" is a global phenomenon, researchers found.
Little money, high dependence
Income from streaming varies widely - but is often minimal. A quarter of respondents said streaming accounts for just 0%-5% of their earnings. Only 8% reported that more than 75% of their income comes from streaming.
"Artists rely on digital platforms to be seen, to grow their audiences and to stay relevant. Our report shows that while streaming and social media contribute very little to artists' actual income, the work they require is changing what it means to be a musician," said Robert Prey, the study's author and professor of digital culture at the Oxford Internet Institute.
Despite this, 81% of those surveyed said streaming is "somewhat" or "extremely" important for their careers, "yet fewer than half say their situation has improved since streaming became dominant," the researchers said.
Furthermore, 83% are dissatisfied with the royalties they receive from streaming.
Frustration grows among artists
The issue is not confined to any one country. In Germany, artists have increasingly criticized the economics of streaming, despite the industry generating billions in revenue.
German rapper LGoony recently highlighted the problem in a video posted to social titled: "I can’t take it anymore."
He questioned how long he can continue releasing music under current conditions, saying that large corporations have "completely devalued" music.
For an artist to earn €1, "you'd have to listen to nothing but that artist's music for over 15 hours," the rapper calculated.
In South Korea, solo indie songwriter CHICKA dee told researchers: "The only way to survive as a musician is to get another job, which makes it harder to focus and create music."
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