For many independent musicians, streaming feels like the most direct path to building an audience and earning income. Spotify is the largest player in the space, with more than 600 million monthly active users. But when it comes to making a living from Spotify streams alone, the numbers paint a sobering picture.

The truth is that artists need millions of plays per year just to hit minimum wage. And in major music cities like Los Angeles or New York, where the cost of living is far above the national average, those streams have to climb even higher.

Defining Minimum Wage vs. a Living Wage

The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour, which equals about $1,160 per month or $15,000 per year for full-time work. However, many states and cities now use $15 per hour as their standard minimum. At $15 an hour, a full-time worker earns about $2,600 per month, or a little over $31,000 annually.

For independent artists, these two benchmarks tell very different stories. While federal minimum wage offers a baseline, the $15/hour figure represents a more realistic measure of what it takes to survive in most major cities.

Spotify Royalties: How Much Do Artists Earn Per Stream?

Spotify does not pay a fixed rate per stream. Instead, royalties vary depending on factors like whether the listener uses a free or paid account, and what country the stream comes from. On average, most independent artists earn between $0.003 and $0.004 per stream.

Using this range, here is what it looks like to reach minimum or living wage levels through Spotify alone:

• Federal Minimum Wage ($1,160 per month / $15,000 per year): About 350,000 monthly streams or 4.2 million annual streams.

• $15/Hour Standard ($2,600 per month / $31,200 per year): About 567,000 monthly streams or 6.8 million annual streams.

These figures assume the artist keeps 100 percent of streaming revenue, which is rarely the case. Distributors, managers, and labels often take a share, lowering the amount an artist takes home.

Why Location Makes a Difference

Even if you hit these streaming numbers, the reality is that minimum wage earnings do not stretch far in most music hubs.

• Los Angeles: Rent, utilities, and studio costs push average monthly expenses well above $3,000. That means an artist would need closer to 8 million streams per year to keep up.

• New York City: With similar housing costs and higher everyday expenses, the picture is nearly identical to Los Angeles. Surviving comfortably on Spotify alone would require millions more streams.

• Nashville and Miami: While slightly more affordable, both cities are still above the national cost-of-living average. A Spotify-only income rarely covers rent, gear, and basic living costs in these markets.

Why Spotify Streams Alone Usually Are Not Enough

These calculations also ignore taxes, marketing budgets, touring costs, and the slice taken by business partners. In reality, even an artist hitting 6 or 7 million streams annually may still struggle to pay bills.

That is why very few musicians rely solely on Spotify royalties to sustain a career. Instead, they treat Spotify as one piece of a much larger puzzle.

How Musicians Can Increase Income Beyond Spotify

If the streaming math feels discouraging, the good news is that artists have many other ways to generate revenue and build sustainability:

1. Merchandise Sales – T-shirts, vinyl, and exclusive items sold online or at shows often provide higher margins than streams.

2. Live Performances – Concerts, residencies, and private events create direct income through ticket sales and guarantees.

3. Social Media Monetization – YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram allow creators to earn from ad revenue, subscriptions, and brand partnerships.

4. Collaborations and Features – Writing, producing, or recording guest verses for other artists adds income and industry connections.

5. Licensing and Sync Opportunities – Placing music in TV shows, films, commercials, or video games often brings in higher payouts than streaming.

6. Growing Your Catalog – More songs in your catalog means more opportunities for streams and syncs over time.

The Bottom Line

To make minimum wage from Spotify alone, an independent artist needs at least 350,000 monthly streams. To earn a more realistic living wage of $15 per hour, that number rises to about 567,000 streams per month, or 6.8 million streams per year.

For artists in major cities like Los Angeles or New York, even this level of success often falls short of covering basic expenses. Which is why the most sustainable careers are built not just on Spotify streams, but on a combination of revenue sources that include merch, performances, collaborations, and sync licensing.

Streaming is an important part of the modern music business, but it should never be the only piece of the plan.