Tracking your music's revenue shouldn't be a guessing game. This guide covers everything you need to know about how your earnings are generated across streaming and social platforms, how to navigate your dashboard on web or mobile, payout timelines, and the unique factors that influence your royalty rates.
When you distribute a track, you earn royalties from two main sources:
DSPs (Digital Service Providers): Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.
UGC (User Generated Content): Revenue from music used on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Earnings Balance shown on your My Earnings dashboard reflects your earnings before any taxes or payment provider fees are deducted. Your net earnings, after applicable deductions, will be displayed in your Payout History.
The Earnings dashboard displays your current unpaid balance and your payout history. Here's how you can access the dashboard:
- Go to BandLab.com and log into your account.
- Click on the Services tab in the top navigation bar with the Star Icon
- Select Distribution
- Click on the My Earnings tab within the distribution dashboard to view your revenue, balances, and history.
- Open the BandLab app on your mobile device.
- Tap the Star Icon in the top right corner of your main feed to open Artist Services.
- Select Distribution.
- Tap the My Earnings tab to view your streaming revenue breakdown.
Note: DSP streams and UGC views aren't calculated the same way. Just because your track is racking up a huge number of views on TikTok or YouTube doesn't mean those views will instantly convert into streams on Spotify or Apple Music, both of which operate on entirely different payout and playback metrics.
Streaming and social platforms do not pay out immediately. It typically takes 2 to 3 months for services like Spotify to process and report streaming data and royalties to BandLab. Additionally, if a track is released late in the month, its initial earnings may be deferred to the following month's statement.
Streaming revenue from DSPs (Digital Service Providers) like Spotify is calculated based on a few different factors, and it's not always as straightforward as "per stream = fixed amount". Your earnings depend on:
- Who listens: Premium accounts pay more than free ones.
Where they live: Rates vary by country.
Your share: You get a piece of the total revenue pool based on how your stream counts compare to other artists.
Want to know more? Check out the official Spotify Royalty Guide.
Note: If your current earnings don't match the stats on your Distribution Analytics page, don't worry—this is normal. Your Distribution Analytics page shows your streaming activity in real time, while your earnings report reflects royalties from streams processed approximately three months ago.
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