The average listener may not know this, but a huge number of songs on Spotify DO NOT make their creators any money. They can have 20 songs, each with up to 999 listens in the year, and they wouldn’t make a single cent from Spotify. Why? Because of a new policy instituted over a year ago.
This policy states that if a song does not meet the threshold of 1000 songs in a year, then the money that those songs would have earned get put in a pool for those who are struggling a lot less than the majority.
That, to me, is not fair. Whether the artist earns 5 cents or $5,000, that is the artist’s money. They should be compensated just like the artist fortunate enough to break the threshold. Sure, it may be inconvenient, but it is also fair. And sometimes being fair isn’t always the most convenient option. But it is the right option to take.
So, I am pulling my music from there because, despite not getting many plays on that platform, I want to be compensated for what was listened to. Their Spotify’s policy is, in my humble opinion, degrading to those who are not able to get the listen count up for whatever reason.
And let’s not forget that Spotify also has a big part in normalizing the concept of paying thousandths of a penny per stream. To quote a source “In 2025, Spotify is paying artists $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. That means 10,000 streams of a song would earn you ≈ $30–$50.” They aren’t the worst payout, but they are the biggest and one of the first to use this model. The other services aren’t really any better in regards to payout for artists, but at least they offer something regardless of number of streams.
In the end, they refuse to pay all artists equally fair, and that just is not right. I am still on other platforms which do not have that 1000 play policy, though they pay extremely little, too.
For the record: I operate this project at a pretty significant loss. Even if I were to be compensated for all of the streams I got on Spotify, that would only amount to a few bucks after everything is said and done. I knew going into this that I wouldn’t make much money, but just how little is a bit sobering.
That is what gives me the freedom to pay no attention to algorithms and the latest stupid trends: I’m never going to be popular, so why play that stupid game? Getting published and having my music out there was a goal I had for decades, and that is huge part why I even started this in the first place.
And to answer why I left Spotify but not the other streaming services: The answer is simply that although almost all services seriously undervalue the artist, they at least pay what is owed. Spotify does not to the vast majority of independent artists on there.