Photo credit: Andreas Lawen / CC from 3.0
How much does Spotify pay for 1 million streams? The answer in 2023 is becoming increasingly depressing — just ask Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth.
If you’re wondering how much Spotify pays for a million streams, the answer has only gotten worse since we reported it extensive table of royalties Already in 2016. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone interested in the subject that artists have been at a disadvantage over the past year when it comes to financial compensation for the success of their own work on streaming platforms such as Spotify .
Spotify has consistently drawn criticism for a variety of reasons, including the uphill battle new artists face to get noticed on the platform, or the ability to give preferential treatment to AI-generated music – the list goes on.
Metal band Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth has even gone so far as to say in a new interview that he finds the practices of Spotify – “the world’s greatest criminals” – downright reprehensible. Blabbermouth) with Hard Greece posted last week. Dani Filth sat down with moderator Sakis Fragos to discuss how this works music industryincluding consumers, has been negatively impacted by the practices and standards of streaming leader Spotify.
“It’s gotten worse since then (…) I think 2006 was the year that everything changed: no longer comfortable for musicians – well, not exactly comfortable; it was never comfortable. But with the advent of the digital age, the advent of music streaming platforms that don’t pay anyone, it’s gotten much more difficult (with the advent of the digital age),” Filth noted.
“I think we had 25, 26 million plays last year and I personally made about £20 which is less than an hourly rate,” says Filth, calling Spotify “the world’s biggest criminals”.
“I think people just have this amazing ability to (believe) that if you put things on the market, like physical products, you make a fortune,” he continues. “They don’t realize that there are so many people taking a piece of the pie – record label, management, accountant, blah blah blah.”
“These days the reason people put out limited edition vinyl records is for collectors – they’re the only people who buy them; other people just stream it for free.”
Filth also posited that such financial issues linked to “consumer claims” are a major reason many bands are not touring in the post-pandemic.
“Gasoline consumption has increased; The tour bus rental has increased. The cost of living has gone up. Yes, it’s very difficult for bands right now, but it doesn’t help if people just get the idea that getting music isn’t a privilege, it’s something that music should be given away for free,” says Filth. “I don’t go into someone’s store, I just – I don’t know – take a pack of bananas and say, ‘Well, these grow on trees, they should be free; I’m going out with it.’”
“I would be arrested for shoplifting. But it’s okay if people download it – even before an album comes out, you’ll find fans who’ll say, “Oh, I have a link to it,” and they’ll post it, and then immediately any sales that bring you in, folks, who buy it for a surprise walk away because they’ve already heard it and then just move on to the next thing.”
“The music industry is in a bad place right now,” he concludes. “I still enjoy making music – don’t get me wrong; I love it – but yeah, the musician these days finds a million things against him. It’s a difficult time.”
Cradle of Filth signed to Napalm Records last year and this March they joined DevilDriver on the Double Trouble Live tour. her latest live album, trouble and her double life, was released in April and featured two new studio tracks, “She is a Fire” and “Demon Prince Regent”.