Streaming Royalty & Recoupment Calculator
A billion streams is not a billion streams of income. Two separate pots are paid — one for the recording, one for the composition — the artist earns a contracted slice of the first, and that slice repays the advance before a cent of it is cash. Enter the numbers from a statement to see where each pot goes and how much of it is still a loan.
Total plays of the recording across services.
Share of the master payout the contract allows. Classic label deals sit near 18%; distribution deals reach 80–100%.
What reaches the owner of the recording. Moves with service, market and subscription tier.
Mechanical plus performance royalties on the composition — a separate pot from the recording.
An advance is a loan against royalties, not a payment. Nothing lands until it is repaid.
Split across co-writers — four writers on equal splits is 25% each.