Superstar Taylor Swift continues to reign supreme in the world of music royalties, with her hits earning a jaw-dropping £79.8 million from Spotify in the last year. The “Shake It Off” singer was Spotify’s highest-earning artist, as the platform made history by paying out an unprecedented £7.7 billion to artists globally.
As Spotify continues to dominate the music streaming landscape, it has broken its own record for payouts, with the top-tier royalties benefiting some of the biggest names in music. Swift’s earnings were far ahead of the second-highest earner, The Weeknd, who pulled in an impressive £39.8 million. Ariana Grande followed close behind with £30 million, while Bruno Mars earned £25 million from his streams.
It wasn’t always this way for Taylor. In 2014, she made headlines when she removed her catalog from Spotify in protest of their royalty policy, famously stating, “It’s my opinion music should not be free.” However, by 2017, Swift made a triumphant return to the platform, marking the release of her Reputation album, and the rest is history.
Spotify’s “Loud and Clear” report highlighted a significant increase in the number of artists generating royalties between $1,000 and $10 million, revealing a positive shift for those benefiting from the streaming revolution. Despite past criticism over their pay rates, Spotify has defended its model, stating that they pay rights holders, who then distribute the earnings based on their individual agreements.
As the music industry continues to evolve, Taylor Swift’s massive earnings serve as a testament to her enduring global popularity, solidifying her place as one of the most influential and successful artists in modern music history.
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