YouTube’s $8 Billion Payout Shows It’s Catching Up to Spotify
The streaming giant’s twin-engine mix of ads and subscriptions is reshaping how the global music industry gets paid.
YouTube just dropped some big numbers, and they’re music to the industry’s ears. Between July 2024 and July 2025, the streaming giant says it has paid out more than $8 billion to the global music industry, making this its biggest annual payout yet.
It’s not just a headline figure. The number reflects how quickly YouTube’s music economy is expanding. In 2022, payouts stood at $6 billion, and the year before that, $4 billion. That’s $4 billion in growth over just three years, showing how quickly the platform is scaling its creator and artist ecosystem.
For comparison, Spotify, the long-time leader in music royalties, paid out $10 billion to rights holders in 2024, up from $9 billion in 2023. Spotify may still be ahead, but YouTube’s momentum is hard to ignore.
Emmanuel Umahi
The announcement came from Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, during Billboard Latin Music Week. “Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders,” he said. “This number is not an endpoint; it represents meaningful, sustained progress in our journey to build a long-term home for every artist, songwriter, and publisher on the global stage.”
That “twin engine,” ad revenue on one side and paid subscriptions on the other, is what’s driving YouTube’s growth. The platform now counts more than 125 million Music and Premium subscribers, including trial users, alongside 2 billion logged-in viewers who watch music content every month. Together, those figures make YouTube one of the most far-reaching distribution networks in the music world.
Of course, the billions YouTube pays out don’t go directly into artists’ pockets. The money is divided among labels, publishers, songwriters, and other rights holders. But what’s changing is how creators earn, and YouTube’s dual-revenue model may be one of the most sustainable in the long run.
Emmanuel Umahi
That scale also extends globally. YouTube is now available in more than 100 countries and supports 80 languages, quietly becoming one of the most accessible platforms for musicians, especially independent ones, to reach new audiences. In a blog post, YouTube said, “As the platform’s global footprint continues to expand, so does the potential for artists and songwriters to build long-lasting music careers and forever fans on YouTube.”
That wasn't just talk. At its Made on YouTube event last month, the company revealed that it has paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the past four years. That evolution is remarkable. A platform once known for fan-uploaded lyric videos has become one of the most powerful financial engines in global music.
The takeaway
YouTube is no longer just where people watch music videos. It’s a full-fledged economic ecosystem that’s redefining how musicians, songwriters, and creators make a living. The $8 billion payout is more than a milestone and is proof that the future of music money is already here, and YouTube plans to keep leading the score.
Oyinebiladou Omemu
