Home / Business and Economy / YouTube Pays Music Industry $8 Billion in One Year, a 33% Increase
YouTube Pays Music Industry $8 Billion in One Year, a 33% Increase
25 Oct
Summary
- YouTube paid over $8 billion to music industry in 12 months
- Represents "meaningful, sustained progress" in supporting artists
- Payments up from $6 billion in previous year, a 33% increase
In a significant development for the music industry, YouTube has revealed that it paid out more than $8 billion to music creators and rights holders in the 12-month period between July 2024 and June 2025. This figure represents a substantial 33% increase from the previous year's $6 billion payout.
According to Lyor Cohen, YouTube's Global Head of Music, this milestone "is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders." He emphasized that this $8 billion payout is not an endpoint, but rather "meaningful, sustained progress in our journey to build a long-term home for every artist, songwriter and publisher on the global stage."
The sharp rise in YouTube's music industry payouts comes at a time when the platform has faced criticism for its treatment of artists. In September 2025, legendary music mogul Irving Azoff had accused YouTube of "inventing new words for the way to bully people." However, the latest figures suggest that YouTube is actively working to address these concerns and provide better support for the creative community.
While YouTube's $8 billion payout is a significant achievement, it still lags behind its major competitor, Spotify, which reported a record $10 billion in payouts to the music industry in 2024. This disparity can be partly attributed to the fact that YouTube has a lower subscriber count than Spotify, with 125 million Music and Premium subscribers compared to Spotify's 276 million.
