Earnings Exposed: How Much Does Deezer Pay Per Stream

Find out how much does Deezer pay per stream and the factors affecting it.

Miha Vidmajer
Viberate — Music Data Company
3 min readApr 2, 2024

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Navigating the complex waters of music streaming revenue can be a daunting task for artists and industry insiders. A particularly intriguing aspect of this landscape is understanding how much does Deezer pay per stream. In this comprehensive piece, we’ll peel back the layers of Deezer’s payment structure, offering invaluable insights for those looking to make their mark in the music world.

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Deezer in the Streaming Universe

Deezer is a significant yet often underestimated player in the music streaming arena. Despite its modest market share of 2.6% and a relatively small pool of 7 million paid subscribers, Deezer sets itself apart with its payout per stream rates. It’s crucial for artists to understand where Deezer stands compared to other platforms, especially when strategizing their music distribution.

The Reality Behind Average Payouts

A commonly cited figure is Deezer’s average payout of $0.0064 per stream, ranking it as the fifth highest paying service. However, this number is frequently misunderstood. The calculation of streaming payouts is far from straightforward, and such averages can be misleading. They are helpful as benchmarks but should be approached with a degree of caution.

Viberate for Artists: All your first-party streaming stats without switching tools. With data-driven music website and Spotify playlist pitching.

How Does Deezer Calculate Payments?

The payment model used by Deezer is consistent with other streaming services. It involves a three-step process:

  • Total Revenue Computation: Deezer calculates its earnings from subscriptions and ad revenue.
  • Platform’s Share Deduction: Similar to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, Deezer retains a portion of this revenue (52% headline rate for others).
  • Distribution to Rightsholders: The remaining funds are then allocated to music rightsholders based on their share of total streams.

This methodology underlines the challenge in deriving an exact average payout, as revenue varies each month.

The Business Perspective

For those familiar with the ebbs and flows of business revenues, the variability of streaming earnings is not surprising. Consequently, the average payout per stream can be a deceptive metric. It’s further complicated by Deezer’s varying agreements with different labels, where larger labels and distributors with more streams can negotiate better terms.

The Illusion of High Payout Numbers

Despite its seemingly high payout per stream, the actual amount an artist earns via Deezer can differ significantly. This variance is due to the specifics of the agreement between the artist’s distributor and Deezer.

Impact of Subscriber Base on Payouts

Deezer’s lower subscriber count paradoxically results in a higher average payout per stream, as there are fewer streams to dilute this average. However, to achieve a sustainable income, an artist would need around 2.4 million streams annually on Deezer. For many, especially emerging artists, this is a daunting target given the platform’s reach.

Viberate’s Deezer Analytics: A Powerful Tool

To effectively navigate Deezer’s streaming landscape, tools like Viberate’s Deezer analytics are indispensable. They offer:

  • Deezer Follower Growth: Track and compare your follower growth with industry averages.
  • Tracks on Deezer Charts: Understand your music’s chart performance on Deezer.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how much does Deezer pay per stream is more than just knowing a number; it’s about comprehending the nuances of the music streaming economy. The payout per stream is influenced by various factors including the service’s subscriber base, the artist’s agreement with their distributor, and the inherent variability of streaming revenues.

For artists and industry professionals, having a realistic grasp of these dynamics is crucial. While Deezer’s payout per stream rate seems attractive at first glance, it’s important to dive deeper into what these figures actually mean in practice. By utilizing analytical tools like those offered by Viberate, artists can gain more control over their music careers and make informed decisions in the ever-evolving digital music landscape.

Viberate for Artists: All your first-party streaming stats without switching tools. With data-driven music website and Spotify playlist pitching.

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