Snoop Dogg Claimed He Only Made $45K From His Billion Spotify Streams… Spotify Hits Back

Rap legend Snoop Dogg is among a growing number of major artists speaking out against the streaming revenue model dominated by platforms like Spotify. The controversy began in December 2023, when Snoop voiced his frustration over the payouts artists receive for massive streaming numbers.

At a press event, Snoop expressed disbelief at how little money he personally saw despite accumulating over a billion streams on the platform:

"Can someone explain to me how you can get a billion streams and not get a million dollars?"

Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

According to Snoop, his check from Spotify for that milestone was only $45,000—a shockingly low number considering the revenue potential of a billion streams.

Fast forward to early 2025, and Snoop took action. He announced that he was leaving Spotify in favor of Tune.FM, a Web3 streaming platform that promises more transparent and equitable artist payments. Speaking with Billboard, he made his stance clear:

"I don't f** with Spotify anymore. I'm only on Tune.FM."

This move signaled a shift in Snoop's approach to streaming, but Spotify was quick to dispute his claim about the $45K payout.

Spotify Responds: "Millions Go to Rights Holders"

After Snoop's comments went viral, Spotify hit back, suggesting that his claim was misleading. In a statement to TMZ, a spokesperson for the streaming giant responded:

"$45K for a billion streams? It's well documented that a billion streams on Spotify generates millions of dollars to rights holders. It's unfortunate to hear that Spotify's payments didn't make it through to Snoop."

Spotify also made a subtle reference to Snoop's ownership of Death Row Records, implying that now that he controls his old catalog, he might be in a better position to see more of the streaming revenue:

"Snoop's a legend and, hopefully, now that he owns Death Row Records, he's seeing more of that money."

The key phrase here is "rights holders," which often means record labels, publishers, and distributors—not necessarily the artists themselves. Even high-profile artists like Snoop Dogg might see only a fraction of the total streaming revenue if their contracts favor record labels.

How Much Does Spotify Really Pay?

To put things into perspective, Spotify's average per-stream payout ranges between $0.003 and $0.005. A billion streams typically generates somewhere between $3 million and $5 million in total revenue for all rights holders.

However, an artist's share depends on their record deal and royalty structure:

• If an artist is signed to a label, the label receives the bulk of the revenue, often keeping 80% or more before paying the artist.
• Artists under traditional contracts might earn only 15-20% of their label's share, meaning their cut from a billion streams could be closer to $600,000 to $1 million—before deductions.
• If multiple artists, producers, or songwriters are involved, the money is split further.

Given these numbers, Snoop's claim of only receiving $45,000 seems unusually low. One possible explanation is that the payout he referenced was from publishing royalties, which are much smaller than master recording royalties. Songwriters have long complained about tiny payouts for streaming, and Snoop may have been pointing to that portion of his earnings.

Tune.FM: A New Streaming Model?

Frustrated with the current system, Snoop has aligned himself with Tune.FM, a Web3 music platform built on blockchain technology. The platform claims to offer higher artist payouts by eliminating middlemen like major labels and using crypto micropayments.

How does Tune.FM compare to Spotify?

• Artists receive 90% of streaming revenue, compared to the 15-20% they might get from a traditional label deal.
• Payments are instant and transparent via blockchain, rather than processed monthly.
• The platform offers additional revenue through NFT sales and fan-driven incentives.

Tune.FM claims to pay around $0.01 per minute streamed, meaning a 4-minute song would earn $0.04 per play—10 times more than Spotify's average rate. However, since Tune.FM is still a niche platform, its listener base is much smaller than Spotify's 600+ million users.

The Bigger Picture: Artists vs. Streaming Platforms

Snoop's public dispute with Spotify highlights a larger issue: many artists feel they aren't receiving their fair share of streaming revenue. The root of the problem isn't necessarily Spotify's payout rate, but rather the music industry's royalty structure, which favors labels over artists.

Snoop Dogg isn't the first artist to call out streaming services:

• Taylor Swift temporarily pulled her music from Spotify in 2014 over similar concerns.
• Pharrell Williams famously earned only $2,700 from 43 million streams of "Happy" on Pandora.
• Kevin Kadish, co-writer of "All About That Bass," said he made just $5,679 from 178 million streams.

These examples highlight how the music industry's payment model is flawed, especially for artists who don't own their masters.

Who's Right in the Snoop-Spotify Feud?

While Spotify's claim that a billion streams generate millions is accurate, Snoop Dogg's frustration is understandable. If he truly only received $45K, it's likely due to old record deals or complicated royalty splits, rather than a direct failure on Spotify's part.

Still, his move to Tune.FM signals a growing interest in alternative platforms where artists have more control. Whether blockchain-based streaming services can truly compete with giants like Spotify remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the debate over streaming royalties isn't going away anytime soon.