If 500 people stream my song 1,000 times, am I paid for 1,000 or 500?

You’re paid for 1,000 streams, because Spotify pays by your share of all streams, not by how many different people listened. Spotify’s Loud & Clear FAQ says you get paid “based on your percentage of total streams.”

Our guide to how Spotify pays artists walks through the whole streamshare model. The short version: more streams, bigger share of the pool.

A play counts as a stream once someone listens for at least 30 seconds, per Spotify’s page on how streams are counted. Spotify doesn’t say it treats repeats differently, so a fan who plays your song twice should count twice. Our FAQ on what counts as a stream has the details.

Listeners do matter in two places.

First, eligibility. Since April 2024 a track needs at least 1,000 streams in the past 12 months, plus a minimum number of unique listeners, to earn recording royalties. Spotify’s eligibility page doesn’t publish that listener number.

Second, fake plays. Loud & Clear says streams Spotify flags as artificial don’t earn royalties. Spotify doesn’t say where heavy repeat listening tips over into that, so a real crowd beats one person on loop. Our page on bots and fake streams covers the warning signs.

The money also goes to your distributor or label first, not straight to you. For a rough idea of what 1,000 streams pays, try the Spotify royalty calculator.