YouTube paid $8B to music industry in past year
YouTube announced it paid more than $8 billion to the music industry in the 12-month period from July 2024 to July 2025, a figure the company credits to its dual advertising and subscription revenue streams. The payout figure was officially released on Thursday.
The milestone was first shared by Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, during a talk at Billboard Latin Music Week on Wednesday. “Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders,” Cohen stated in a subsequent announcement. “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.”
The $8 billion total establishes a new record for the platform and demonstrates continued growth in its payments to the music sector. The figure represents a $2 billion increase from the $6 billion YouTube reported contributing between July 2021 and June 2022. A year prior, in 2021, the company had announced a payout of $4 billion over a 12-month period, showing a consistent upward trend in its financial contributions to the industry.
YouTube’s announcement follows a report from Spotify earlier in 2024 that it paid $10 billion to the music industry that year, which was an increase from its $9 billion payout in 2023. The funds from YouTube are distributed among multiple rights holders, a group that includes artists, as well as songwriters, publishers, labels, and other industry stakeholders. The money is not provided directly or in its entirety to the performers.
The company attributes its financial momentum to its “twin-engine revenue model.” This model is supported by a user base of more than 125 million Music and Premium subscribers globally, a count that includes individuals participating in trial offers. In addition to its subscription services, the platform reports that two billion logged-in viewers watch music videos each month, contributing to advertising revenue.
In a related blog post, the company stated that as its global footprint expands, so does the potential for artists and songwriters to build lasting music careers and develop fan bases through the YouTube platform.
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