Insight: How Much Does Deezer Pay Per Stream

Miha Prebil

Mar 10, 2024

In the dynamic world of music streaming, understanding the intricacies of platform payouts is crucial for artists navigating their careers. One question that often emerges in this context is: how much does Deezer pay per stream? In this article, we'll delve into the specifics of Deezer's payment structure, offering insights for musicians and industry professionals.
 

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Deezer: A Brief Overview

Deezer, a notable player in the music streaming landscape, distinguishes itself with a high payout per stream, despite holding a smaller market share. With a 2.6% slice of the market and about 7 million paid subscribers, Deezer's dynamics differ significantly from its larger counterparts like Spotify. 

The Misleading Nature of Average Payouts

On the surface, Deezer's average payout of $0.0064 per stream positions it as the 5th highest paying streaming service. However, this figure is often misconstrued. Many artists overlook the complexity behind how streaming services calculate payouts. It's essential to recognize that these are average numbers and should be considered as rough guidelines rather than exact figures. 

Deezer's Payment Process: A Closer Look

Deezer, akin to other streaming platforms, follows a specific process for paying artists. This involves:

• Revenue Calculation: Firstly, Deezer calculates its earnings from subscriptions and advertising.
• Taking Its Cut: Like Spotify and Apple Music, which retain a 52% headline rate, Deezer deducts its portion.
• Paying Rightsholders: The remaining revenue is then distributed to rightsholders (labels, distributors, etc.) based on their negotiated share of streams.

This process underscores why obtaining an accurate average payout is challenging, as revenues fluctuate monthly. 

Understanding Business Realities

For business owners, the variability of monthly earnings is a familiar concept. Likewise, in the streaming world, fluctuating revenues mean that average payouts can be misleading. Moreover, Deezer's individual agreements with different labels add another layer of complexity. Labels with more streams and a diverse artist roster hold more bargaining power, influencing their share of the streaming revenue. 

The High Payout Number: A Misnomer

While Deezer's payout per stream may seem attractive, it's crucial to approach this figure with skepticism. The actual payout an artist receives depends heavily on the terms set by their distributor and Deezer.

Subscriber Base and Payout Implications

Deezer's lower subscriber count paradoxically inflates the average payout per stream, as fewer overall streams prevent the average from diluting. To put this in perspective, earning a minimum wage solely from Deezer streams would require approximately 2.4 million streams annually. For many emerging artists, achieving such numbers on a platform with limited reach is a daunting challenge.

Leveraging Viberate's Deezer Analytics

Despite these challenges, understanding and monitoring your music's performance on Deezer is vital. Viberate offers comprehensive Deezer analytics tools, including:

• Deezer Follower Growth: Track your follower growth on Deezer and compare it to industry averages.
• Tracks on Deezer Charts: Gain insights into your music's presence on Deezer charts.

Conclusion

Navigating the world of music streaming payouts, particularly understanding how much Deezer pays per stream, requires a blend of realism and strategic planning. While average payouts offer a framework, the actual earnings hinge on multiple factors, including your distributor's deal with Deezer and the platform's unique subscriber dynamics. By leveraging tools like Viberate's Deezer analytics, artists can gain a clearer picture of their music's performance and make informed decisions in their career trajectories.