Spotify 1,000 streams rule checker
Since April 2024, Spotify pays recorded music royalties only on tracks with at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months. A track also needs a minimum number of unique listeners, which Spotify does not publish. Eligibility is checked every month, so a song can drop out and come back as its streams change.
SOURCE: Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility · CHECKED 15 October 2026Spotify Stats Calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
How to check a song
- In Spotify for Artists, open Music, then Songs.
- Set the range to last 12 months.
- Type the song's Streams into the calculator. It tells you whether the song meets the stream half of the rule and how many streams it still needs.
The rule applies to each track on its own. An album with one popular song and nine quiet ones can have nine songs that earn nothing on Spotify.
What the rule says, in Spotify's words
- Tracks must reach at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months to be counted in the recorded royalty pool. Spotify says this has applied to all artists since April 2024.
- There is also a minimum number of unique listeners. Spotify does not share the number, to stop people gaming it.
- Spotify works out eligibility every month, so a track can go from eligible to ineligible and back again.
No outside tool can confirm the listener half of the rule, because Spotify keeps the number private. A song over 1,000 streams with very few listeners may still not qualify.
What 1,000 streams is worth
Not much on its own, which is why Spotify set the line there. At the $0.003 to $0.005 per stream range Ditto Music publishes, 1,000 streams pay the rights holder about $3 to $5. Duetti's 2024 report puts Spotify at about $3.0 per 1,000 streams. Spotify itself pays a share of a monthly pool, not a per-stream rate.
| Spotify streams | Rough payout to the rights holder (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $3 to $5 |
| 10,000 | $30 to $50 |
| 100,000 | $300 to $500 |
| 1,000,000 | $3,000 to $5,000 |
What helps a song cross the line
Spread over a year, 1,000 streams is about 84 a month. Older songs often fall under it when nothing points people to them. Putting a back-catalogue song in your setlist, a playlist you run, a video or a smart link next to the new release can keep it moving. Real listeners are the only way across: Spotify says artificial streams do not earn royalties, and severe cases can lead to a track being removed.
Questions artists ask
What is the Spotify 1,000 streams rule?
Since April 2024, a track needs at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months, plus an unpublished minimum of unique listeners, to earn recorded royalties on Spotify.
Do you get paid for under 1,000 streams on Spotify?
Not recorded royalties. The streams still count in your stats, but the track is left out of the royalty pool that month.
Is the 1,000 streams rule per song or per artist?
Per track. Each song needs its own 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months.
How many unique listeners does Spotify require?
Spotify says there is a minimum but does not publish it, to prevent manipulation. Any number you see quoted elsewhere is a guess.
Does the 1,000 streams rule apply to songwriting royalties?
Spotify's page is about the recorded music royalty pool, which pays the master owner. Publishing royalties are handled separately; check with your publisher or collecting society.
How much does Spotify pay for 1,000 streams?
Roughly $3 to $5 to the rights holder, using Ditto Music's published range, before your distributor's cut. Spotify does not publish a per-stream rate.
How often does Spotify check the 1,000 streams rule?
Every month. A track can move in and out of eligibility as its streams over the previous 12 months change.
Related
- Spotify stats calculator: save rate, streams per listener and the 1,000-stream rule
Free Spotify stats calculator: save rate, streams per listener, playlist adds, the 1,000-stream royalty rule and a rough payout, with sourced benchmarks. - Spotify save rate calculator
Work out your Spotify save rate per listener and per stream, and compare it with sourced third-party rules of thumb. Spotify publishes no official target. - Spotify streams per listener calculator
Work out a song's streams per listener on Spotify and what the ratio means, with a sourced guide and when a high ratio is worth a closer look. - Spotify monthly listeners calculator: streams, followers and money
Turn your Spotify monthly listeners and streams into a rough payout range, see how many listeners an income goal takes, and read your follower ratio. - Streams to money calculator: what every platform pays per stream
What Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and 7 more pay per stream in 2026, after your distributor's cut and splits. Sourced, dated ranges. Free. - Spotify artificial streaming check
Free Spotify artificial streaming check: compare your Spotify for Artists numbers with the warning signs distributors use, and what to do after a notice. - Music release planner: every deadline from upload to release day
Free release planner: pick a date and distributor and get every deadline (upload, Spotify pitch, pre-save, release day), each with its dated source. - Can you upload AI music? Rules for 24 platforms and distributors
Can you upload AI music to Spotify, DistroKid, TuneCore, YouTube or Bandcamp? 24 policies in each company's own words, dated, with a changelog.
Sources
- Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility · checked 15 October 2026
- Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility (unique listeners) · checked 15 October 2026
- Spotify for Artists: Track monetization eligibility (checked monthly) · checked 15 October 2026
- Spotify for Artists: Royalties · checked 15 October 2026
- Ditto Music blog (22 Jun 2026): How much does Spotify pay per stream · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- Duetti, 2024 Music Economics Report (published 23 Jan 2025) · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- Spotify for Artists: Artificial streaming (what happens) · checked 15 October 2026
Found something out of date? Email info@groovegainer.com and we fix it, usually the same week. How we check our sources.