How we source and check the data in our free tools
Every fact in Stage's free tools comes from a page we can link to: the platform's or distributor's own help, policy or pricing page first, a named third-party analysis second. Each source shows the date we read it. We re-check every source monthly and log changes on the page they affect.
CHECKED 15 October 2026The three kinds of source
- Official: the platform's, distributor's or AI generator's own page (help centre, policy, terms, pricing). We quote it word for word.
- Third-party: a named analysis, press report or industry study, used where the company publishes nothing (for example per-stream payouts, which no major service publishes as one number). Marked "third-party source" on the page.
- Search snippet: a few help centres block automated reading. When the only copy we could read was a search engine's snippet of that exact page, we say so and re-check it by hand in a browser.
Ranges, not single numbers
Streaming services pay from a revenue pool, so the amount per stream changes with the country of the listener, their subscription type and the month. Where sources disagree we show the range they give and explain which end applies to whom, instead of picking one number.
What the tools do with your numbers
The calculators run in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent to us. We count anonymous events (a tool was used, a link was clicked) to know which tools help, and only after you accept analytics cookies.
How often we check
- Every source is re-read at least once a month, and the date on the page changes when we do.
- Policy changes (an AI music rule, a new fee) are added to that page's changelog with the date and source.
- Corrections: email info@groovegainer.com. We fix confirmed errors, usually the same week, and note the change.
Reusing the data
The AI music policy table is free to reuse under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0: credit "Stage by Groove Gainer" and link to the page you took it from. The payout figures quote other publishers, some of whom do not allow their numbers to be republished as a dataset, so each figure links to its own source instead.
Who is responsible
The tools are built and maintained by Stage, the artist platform from Groove Gainer Global Group Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. The editor responsible for the data is Arda Benkel, founder of Stage.
Nothing on these pages is legal or financial advice. Policies change: before a release that depends on one, read the linked source yourself.
Related
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