Streaming service Spotify has said that it paid the music industry $10 billion in royalties in 2024 — the highest annual payment from any single retailer in history, according to the company.

In its Loud & Clear report, released Wednesday, Spotify boasted that its payouts have increased tenfold over the past decade, with the number of artists generating royalties tripling since 2017. In total, almost 1,500 artists generated over $1 million in royalties, and 12,500 made it over the $100,000 milestone in 2024.

However, as the debate surrounding artist compensation continues to heat up, after several songwriters boycotted Spotify’s Grammy party over streaming royalties a few weeks ago, the streaming giant is pointing fingers at record labels and publishers.

As reported by the BBC, a spokesperson for Spotify said: “Spotify does not pay artists or songwriters directly. We pay rights-holders... These rights-holders then pay artists and songwriters based on their individual agreements.” So, for the 12,500 who made over $100,000, how much actually ended up in the pockets of the music makers? 🤷‍♀️