How much is 100k streams on Apple Music? (2026, after your distributor's cut)
As of October 2026, 100,000 Apple Music streams pay the rights holder about $620 to $1,000, or $810 at the middle of the range. That is roughly double Spotify per stream, because Apple Music has no free tier. A 15% distributor cut leaves $527 to $850.
SOURCE: Apple Music letter to artists (2021), full text via Digital Music News · CHECKED 16 October 2026Streams to Money Calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
100,000 Apple Music streams, step by step
| 100,000 streams on Apple Music | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid to the rights holder (your distributor account) | $620 | $810 | $1,000 |
| You keep with a 0% distributor (DistroKid and other subscription plans) | $620 | $810 | $1,000 |
| You keep with a 9% cut (CD Baby) | $564 | $737 | $910 |
| You keep with a 15% cut (RouteNote Free, AWAL) | $527 | $689 | $850 |
| Your half of a 50/50 split, 0% distributor | $310 | $405 | $500 |
| Your half of a 50/50 split, 15% distributor | $264 | $344 | $425 |
Rate: $0.0062 to $0.0100 per stream ($6.20 to $10.00 per 1,000), paid to the rights holder, sources 1 2 3 4. Distributor cuts: DistroKid 1, CD Baby 1, RouteNote Free 1, AWAL 1. All checked 15 October 2026. The middle column is the middle of the range, not a prediction.
Why 100k on Apple Music pays more than 100k on Spotify
The same 100,000 streams on Spotify pay about $300 to $500. Apple Music pays more per play because every listener pays for a subscription; there are no low-value ad-supported plays pulling the average down. Apple has said it pays the same 52% headline rate to all labels (Apple's 2021 letter).
Per stream is not the whole story. If Apple Music brings you fewer streams than Spotify, as it does for many independent artists, 100,000 Apple Music streams can still add up to less money than your Spotify line. Check both totals in your distributor's statement before deciding where to put your promotion.
Where the range comes from
The low end is independent payout data, $6.2 per 1,000 in Duetti's 2024 figures (Duetti). The high end is Apple's own 2020 average of $0.01 for individual paid plans, which includes publishing royalties, so the recording side alone sits below it.
100,000 Apple Music streams in other currencies
| Currency | Paid to the rights holder |
|---|---|
| US dollar | $620 to $1,000 |
| Euro | €553 to €892 |
| British pound | £468 to £755 |
| Indian rupee | ₹58,936 to ₹95,058 |
| South African rand | R 10,265 to R 16,557 |
| Brazilian real | R$3,135 to R$5,057 |
| Mexican peso | MX$11,484 to MX$18,522 |
| Canadian dollar | CA$881 to CA$1,421 |
| Australian dollar | A$897 to A$1,447 |
| Turkish lira | ₺30,639 to ₺49,418 |
| Indonesian rupiah | Rp 11,125,620 to Rp 17,944,549 |
| Philippine peso | ₱39,106 to ₱63,074 |
These convert the dollar figures (approx., ECB reference rate of 15 October 2026 (ECB)). They are not local pay rates: what a stream pays depends on where the listener is, and we only have sourced country figures for Spotify in the United States and Portugal. The ECB publishes no reference rate for the Nigerian naira, so there is no naira row. Pick a currency in the calculator above to convert your own result.
Other stream counts
Other counts: 1 million streams on Apple Music and 100,000 streams on Spotify. Every Apple Music rate, source and distributor cut is on the Apple Music royalties calculator. For songs on Spotify, the save rate calculator and the 1,000-stream rule checker read your Spotify for Artists numbers.
Questions artists ask
How much is 100k streams on Apple Music?
About $620 to $1,000 to the rights holder, $810 at the middle of the range, before your distributor's cut.
Does Apple Music pay more than Spotify for 100k streams?
Yes, per stream: about $620 to $1,000 against $300 to $500 on Spotify. In total, the platform with more of your listeners pays you more.
Does Apple Music have a 1,000-stream rule like Spotify?
None of the sources we checked mention one. The 1,000 streams in 12 months rule is Spotify's.
How much is 100k Apple Music streams in pounds or euros?
About £468 to £755 or €553 to €892, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 October 2026. We have no sourced Apple Music figure by listener country.
Does the distributor take a cut of Apple Music money?
The same cut as on Spotify for most distributors: 0% on subscription plans, 9% at CD Baby, 15% on RouteNote Free and AWAL. Pick yours in the calculator.
Related
- How much is 1 million streams on Apple Music? (2026, after your distributor's cut)
What 1 million Apple Music streams pay in 2026: about $6,200 to $10,000 to the rights holder, why it is not a flat $10,000, and what you keep. - Apple Music royalties calculator: pay per stream in 2026
What Apple Music pays per stream in 2026, why the penny figure is not what you get, and what you keep after your distributor. Sourced and dated. - How much is 100k streams on Spotify? (2026, after your distributor's cut)
What 100,000 Spotify streams pay in 2026: about $300 to $500 to the rights holder, after your distributor, in rands, rupees and more. - What is a good Spotify save rate? Benchmarks by source
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 1,000-stream rule: which tracks get paid (threshold calculator)
Check if a song meets Spotify's rule of 1,000 streams in 12 months to earn royalties, how many streams it still needs, and the hidden listener minimum. - 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.
Sources
- Apple Music letter to artists (2021), full text via Digital Music News · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- Duetti, 2024 Music Economics Report (2024 data, published 2025-01-23) · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- LANDR royalty calculator (undated, page footer 2026) · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- Ditto Music blog, How much does Apple Music pay per stream (2026-01-08) · checked 15 October 2026 · third-party source
- DistroKid pricing · checked 15 October 2026
- CD Baby: How much does CD Baby cost · checked 15 October 2026
- RouteNote Support: Free vs Premium distribution · checked 15 October 2026
- AWAL FAQ · checked 15 October 2026
- European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates (15 October 2026) · checked 16 October 2026
Found something out of date? Email info@groovegainer.com and we fix it, usually the same week. How we check our sources.