YouTube Paid $8B to Music Industry Over the Past 12 Months

Over the past 12 months, YouTube has paid out a total of $8 billion to the music industry, underscoring its significant role in supporting artists, songwriters, and record labels. This massive payout highlights the platform’s influence in global music streaming, licensing, and monetization. By generating substantial revenue from ads and subscriptions, YouTube continues to be a key revenue source for the music ecosystem, helping creators reach audiences while earning fair compensation for their work.

YouTube revealed on Thursday that it distributed over $8 billion to the music industry between July 2024 and July 2025.

“Reaching $8 billion highlights the strength of our dual revenue model, ads and subscriptions are working seamlessly,” said Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music. “This milestone isn’t the finish line; it reflects ongoing progress toward creating a lasting home for every artist, songwriter, and publisher worldwide.”

Cohen first shared this achievement during his talk at Billboard Latin Music Week on Wednesday. The payout sets a new record for the platform, rising $2 billion from 2022, when YouTube reported $6 billion contributed to the music industry in the 12 months prior. Back in 2021, the platform had announced $4 billion in payouts for the same period.

This announcement follows Spotify’s earlier news that it paid $10 billion to the music industry in 2024, up from $9 billion in 2023. It’s important to note that these funds don’t go solely to artists, they are also distributed to labels, publishers, songwriters, and other stakeholders.

YouTube credits its success to the momentum from its dual revenue streams, boasting over 125 million Music and Premium subscribers worldwide, including trial users. Additionally, the platform sees two billion logged-in viewers watching music videos each month. “As our global reach grows, so do opportunities for artists and songwriters to cultivate long-lasting careers and loyal fanbases on YouTube,” the company stated in a blog post.

Available in more than 100 countries and supporting 80 languages, YouTube continues to expand its influence in the music ecosystem. At last month’s Made on YouTube event, the company also announced that it has paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies over the past four years.

For questions or comments write to contactus@bostonbrandmedia.com

Source: techcrunch‍