How Much Are AI Musicians Earning on Spotify and YouTube? A $6.1M Snapshot

A Kapwing analysis estimates that the top AI music artists have collectively earned about $6.1 million from platform streams and views. The study aggregates more than 2.3 billion combined Spotify streams and YouTube views compiled from available tracking data.

Platform level breakdown

• Spotify roughly $2.38 million from about 595 million streams
• YouTube approximately $3.7 million from around 1.75 billion views

Kapwing based its estimates on data drawn from Songstats and AiMCharts. The figures highlight the growing role of AI generated music in streaming ecosystems and raise questions about attribution and monetisation.

The study reports that the 10 largest AI music artists have collectively generated approximately $6.1 million from streams and views across Spotify and YouTube. On Spotify, these artists accrued about $2.38 million from roughly 595 million streams. Meanwhile, YouTube views contributed approximately $3.7 million from a total of 1.75 billion views.

Specific artists’ earnings include Enlly Blue, who earned around $380,800 from approximately 95.2 million streams. Additionally, Cherry Nightcore generated about $2 million from 941 million views. This earnings breakdown illustrates the significant influence AI-generated music has in the streaming landscape.

Masters of Prophecy has the largest reported following among the named AI music artists, with 36.1 million followers across all major platforms. King Willonius is reported to have 500 chart entries across all platforms. Don Bnnr’s tracks are reported to have appeared on 1,852 playlists, and those playlists have a combined follower total of 46.7 million listeners. These figures are presented as individual performance statistics for the named AI music artists in the study.

In response to the growing impact of AI-generated music, the music industry has undertaken several measures related to transparency and monetisation. Deezer has reported that more than 50% of all new daily uploads on its platform are AI-generated tracks.

To address AI content, Tidal has introduced an AI music tagging system and has implemented a policy that prevents fully AI-generated tracks from earning royalties. Additionally, industry bodies such as the IFPI, RIAA, and the Human Artistry Campaign have proposed a voluntary labeling system. This system aims to distinguish fully AI-generated recordings from those that are merely assisted by AI, enhancing transparency for consumers and creators alike.

Kapwing produced the study’s earning estimates by analysing data drawn from Songstats and AiMCharts, which the study identifies as the data providers used to compile the stream and view totals that underpin the reported revenue figures for Spotify and YouTube. The study presents Kapwing’s analysis as the basis for the combined totals and platform-level breakdowns included in the report. The available sources do not provide this information. No additional methodological detail, including specific data processing steps or calculation formulas, is provided in the available sources.

CONCLUSION

The study’s estimates on AI-generated music earnings on Spotify and YouTube highlight industry concerns about competitive impacts and the implications for how recordings are identified and compensated, and on rights and revenue distribution frameworks. “The bigger challenge now is ensuring that human artists aren’t left competing on an increasingly uneven playing field.” The report records calls for greater transparency, attribution, and monetisation safeguards to distinguish different levels of AI involvement across recordings and to address related payment questions. These themes—competition, transparency, attribution and monetisation—are presented in the report alongside the earnings data and proposed measures, underscoring the issues the industry is addressing.