How much is 100k streams on SoundCloud? (2026, after your distributor's cut)
As of October 2026, SoundCloud estimates that 100,000 plays pay a monetized artist about $250 to $400, or $325 at the middle of the range. Under fan-powered royalties, fans who listen a lot are worth more. You need 500 eligible plays a month to be monetized at all.
SOURCE: SoundCloud, How much does SoundCloud pay per stream (undated, footer 2026) · CHECKED 16 October 2026Streams to Money Calculator runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
100,000 SoundCloud plays, step by step
| 100,000 plays on SoundCloud | Low | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid to the rights holder (your distributor account) | $250 | $325 | $400 |
| You keep with a 0% distributor (DistroKid and other subscription plans) | $250 | $325 | $400 |
| You keep with a 9% cut (CD Baby) | $228 | $296 | $364 |
| You keep with a 15% cut (RouteNote Free, AWAL) | $213 | $276 | $340 |
| Your half of a 50/50 split, 0% distributor | $125 | $163 | $200 |
| Your half of a 50/50 split, 15% distributor | $106 | $138 | $170 |
Rate: $0.0025 to $0.0040 per play ($2.50 to $4.00 per 1,000), paid to the rights holder, sources 1. 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.
100,000 plays under fan-powered royalties
SoundCloud does not pool all its money and split it by share of plays. Each listener's money goes to the artists that listener played. So 100,000 plays from a few hundred dedicated fans can pay more than 100,000 plays from tens of thousands of people who played once, because each fan's subscription is shared among fewer artists. The range here is SoundCloud's own estimate (SoundCloud), and it is the only source we found.
Monetized or not
None of this applies until the account is monetized. Monetization requires at least 500 eligible plays in the past month (per SoundCloud's own page). That is a monthly line, unlike Spotify's yearly 1,000 streams per track, so 100,000 plays in one month clears it easily, while the same plays spread thinly over years might not.
For comparison, 100,000 Spotify streams pay about $300 to $500, so SoundCloud sits a little below Spotify per play at the averages we have.
100,000 SoundCloud plays in other currencies
| Currency | Paid to the rights holder |
|---|---|
| US dollar | $250 to $400 |
| Euro | €223 to €357 |
| British pound | £189 to £302 |
| Indian rupee | ₹23,764 to ₹38,023 |
| South African rand | R 4,139 to R 6,623 |
| Brazilian real | R$1,264 to R$2,023 |
| Mexican peso | MX$4,631 to MX$7,409 |
| Canadian dollar | CA$355 to CA$568 |
| Australian dollar | A$362 to A$579 |
| Turkish lira | ₺12,354 to ₺19,767 |
| Indonesian rupiah | Rp 4,486,137 to Rp 7,177,819 |
| Philippine peso | ₱15,768 to ₱25,229 |
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: 100,000 streams on Spotify. Every SoundCloud rate, source and distributor cut is on the SoundCloud 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 SoundCloud?
About $250 to $400 for a monetized artist, by SoundCloud's own estimate, before any distributor cut.
How many SoundCloud plays do I need to get paid?
SoundCloud's page says monetization needs at least 500 eligible plays in the past month.
How much is 100k SoundCloud plays in India?
We found no SoundCloud figure by country. Converting the worldwide estimate, $250 to $400 is about ₹23,764 to ₹38,023 at the ECB reference rate of 15 October 2026.
Does SoundCloud pay more than Spotify?
Per play, slightly less at the averages we have: $250 to $400 per 100,000 against $300 to $500 on Spotify. Fan-powered royalties can lift it for artists with dedicated listeners.
Why is SoundCloud's figure a range?
Because fan-powered royalties depend on how much your own listeners stream and whether they pay. SoundCloud gives $2.50 to $4.00 per 1,000 as its estimate.
Related
- SoundCloud royalties calculator: pay per stream in 2026
What SoundCloud pays per play in 2026 under fan-powered royalties, the 500-play monetization line, and what you keep. 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
- SoundCloud, How much does SoundCloud pay per stream (undated, footer 2026) · checked 15 October 2026
- 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.