YouTube has announced that it paid $8 billion to the global music industry between July 2024 and June 2025, highlighting the platform’s continued role as a major revenue driver for labels, publishers, and artists.
The figure represents payouts across creators, labels, and rights holders rather than directly to artists, but marks a growing contribution to the wider music economy.
In a statement, YouTube said, “Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders. 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 figure reflects steady year-on-year growth. YouTube had previously reported $6 billion in music industry payouts in 2022, suggesting an additional $1 billion in annual contributions since then. For comparison, Spotify reported paying out $10 billion to the music industry in 2024.
YouTube attributes this growth to increased adoption of its Music and Premium subscriptions, which now count 125 million cumulative subscribers, alongside a strong ad revenue base that supports its revenue-sharing ecosystem for creators.
The company also stated that it has paid out over $100 billion to creators in the past four years through the YouTube Partner Program, which remains one of the most established monetization models in the creator economy.
Music continues to be one of YouTube’s most influential verticals, with several of the platform’s most viewed videos being music-related. Beyond distribution, YouTube also remains a vital space for music discovery, fan engagement, and performance monetization, positioning itself as a key player in the digital music economy.
