If you upload music from Kenya, Nigeria or anywhere in Africa, there is one Spotify rule every independent artist should know: tracks under 1,000 streams a year earn no recorded royalties. Here is how it works and how to make sure your songs count.
Quick answer
- Tracks need 1,000+ streams in the last 12 months to earn Spotify recorded royalties.
- There is also a minimum number of unique listeners (not published).
- The rule has applied worldwide since 1 April 2024.
- Promote fewer releases harder, and pitch each single 7+ days before release.
What the rule says
Since 1 April 2024, Spotify only includes a track in the recorded-music royalty pool if it reached at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months. There is also a minimum number of unique listeners, which Spotify keeps private to stop manipulation. The rule is global and is checked track by track.
Why Spotify introduced it
Spotify says very small payments to millions of tracks were often too low to reach artists after distributor and bank fees. The same update also started charging labels and distributors per track when flagrant artificial streaming is detected, and set a two-minute minimum length for noise and functional recordings to earn royalties.
What it means for African artists
- Releasing many tracks that each get a few hundred streams now earns nothing on Spotify. Fewer, better-promoted releases do better.
- Boomplay, Apple Music, YouTube Music and TikTok have their own payment rules, so the 1,000-stream rule does not affect your income there.
- Never buy streams. Artificial streams can get your tracks removed and your distributor charged.
How to pass 1,000 streams per track
- Pitch every unreleased single in Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release, so it lands in your followers’ Release Radar.
- Release singles 3 to 6 weeks apart and keep pointing fans to your newest track.
- Share one smart link to the song on WhatsApp Status, TikTok and Instagram.
- Add the track to your own playlists and ask fans to save it, not just play it once.
- Use TikTok and YouTube Shorts clips to send listeners to the full song.
Sources: Spotify for Artists, “Modernizing our royalty system” (November 2023, updated April 2024), and Spotify for Artists support pages on track monetization and pitching. Checked 31 October 2026.
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How many streams do you need to get paid on Spotify?
A track must reach at least 1,000 streams in the previous 12 months to generate recorded-music royalties. It also needs a minimum number of unique listeners, which Spotify does not publish.
When did the 1,000-stream rule start?
Spotify announced it in November 2023 and the policy went live on 1 April 2024. It applies worldwide, including in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Does Spotify pay per stream?
No. Spotify says it does not pay artist royalties at a per-play or per-stream rate. Royalties are shared from a pool based on each track’s share of streams in each market.
What happens to a track below 1,000 streams?
It does not earn recorded royalties for that period. Tracks can move in and out of eligibility, so a song that later passes 1,000 streams in a 12-month window starts earning again.
Does the rule affect songwriting royalties?
The threshold is for recorded-music royalties, the money paid to your distributor. Songwriting royalties are collected separately by publishers and collecting societies.
