In a revelation that shook the music industry, Snoop Dogg exposed the stark reality of streaming earnings during a recent episode of the Business Untitled podcast. The West Coast rap icon dropped a bombshell, confessing that despite accumulating an impressive one billion streams on Spotify, his earnings amounted to less than $45,000.
The hip-hop mogul delved into the details during the 34-minute mark of the podcast, expressing disbelief at the meager sum. “In the streaming world, I could show you right now, they sent me some sht from Spotify where I got a billion streams,” shared Snoop. “My publisher hit me. I said, ‘Break that down. How much money is that?’ That sht wasn’t even $45,000.”
This revelation comes at a critical juncture as Spotify plans to revamp its royalty model in the first quarter of 2024. The new system requires songs to amass at least 1,000 annual streams to qualify for royalty payments. An insider revealed that the move aims to “demonetize” tracks earning less than five cents per month, potentially reallocating $40 million to more successful songs.
The impact of this change is far-reaching, affecting not only established artists like Snoop Dogg but also indie musicians struggling with minimal earnings. The move to impose a threshold for payouts raises concerns about the financial viability of streaming for lesser-known talents.
Snoop Dogg’s candid disclosure sheds light on the challenges artists face in the evolving landscape of digital music distribution. The allure of billion-stream milestones is tainted by the harsh reality of meager compensation, prompting a broader conversation about fair compensation and transparency within the music industry.
