Here’s a
clear, complete, step-by-step breakdown of
how you earn money on DistroKid and
how each social media platform contributes to your earnings.
How You Earn on DistroKid
DistroKid collects money from
stores, streaming platforms, and social media networks where your music is used, then sends it to your account. You get
100% of your royalties unless you choose features that change the splits.
You earn from:
1. Streaming Royalties
ρáíd when people listen to your tracks on:
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- Amazon Music
- YouTube Music
- Tidal
- Déézér
- Pandora
… and many more.
These are usually
per-stream payments.
2. Digital Sales
If someone
buys your song or album on:
- iTunes
- Amazon
- Google/YouTube
You earn money from those purchases.
3. Social Media Usage Royalties
This is where many artists don’t realize HUGE income comes from.
DistroKid collects royalties from:
How You Earn on EACH Social Media Platform
1. TikTok
You earn when:
- Your music is used in any TikTok video
- Anyone uses your sound in their content
- Your sound becomes part of a trend
TikTok pays based on
video views, not music plays.
2. Instagram / Facebook (Meta)
You earn when your music is used in:
- Reels
- Stories
- Videos
- Photo slideshows
- Background music on the in-app music library
Meta pays based on
usage + views.
3. YouTube
You earn from:
A. Content ID
If someone uses your song in their video, you earn
ad revenue.
B. YouTube Music streams
Streaming plays like Spotify.
C. YouTube Shorts
Music used in Shorts also earns revenue.
4. Threads (Meta)
Instagram’s music library syncs to Threads.
If your music is used in posts, you earn from Meta’s pool.
5. Snapchat
Your song in their Sound Library = royalty for
each use.
6. Soundtrack by Twitch (Twitch streams)
If your music is available and used on Twitch streams, you earn royalties.
7. TikTok Music / Resso (ByteDance Music services)
You earn streaming royalties similar to Spotify.
How Much You Can Earn
These are approximate average payouts:
| Platform | Payout Range (approx) |
|---|
| Spotify | $0.003–0.005 per stream |
| Apple Music | $0.007–0.01 per stream |
| TikTok | Based on views, not plays |
| Instagram/Facebook | Usage + engagement based |
| YouTube Content ID | Varies by ads & region |
| YouTube Music | ~$0.008 per play |
| Amazon | $0.004–0.01 per play |