How to read a music royalty statement: every column explained
By the SUF Digitals team · Updated
A royalty statement is a list of small payments: one line for each song, store, country and month, with the number of plays and the money they earned. Stores report about two to three months after the plays, so this month's statement pays for listening from a while back. Here is what every column means, why YouTube and Instagram add so many tiny lines, and how your share is worked out.
The columns
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Period | The month the music was played or used, not the month you were paid. |
| Song and artist | The track, as the store reported it. |
| ISRC and UPC | The recording's code and the release's code; these tie the line to your song. |
| Store | Who paid: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, JioSaavn, Amazon Music, Meta, caller tunes and so on. |
| Country | Where the listener was. The same song pays very differently by country. |
| Units | Streams, plays, views, uses or active subscribers, depending on the store. |
| Amount | What the line earned, converted to rupees, and your share of it at your plan's rate. |
Why money arrives two to three months late
Stores count a month's listening, work out what each stream is worth from that month's revenue, and send reports some weeks later. Your distributor then processes them. So streams in March often show as money in May or June. Spotify for Artists shows your streams within a day or two; your statement shows the money later. That gap is normal, and it is why a dashboard can show streams before any royalty appears.
Store names you will see
- YouTube Art Tracks and Music Videos: plays of your songs on YouTube and YouTube Music.
- YouTube subscription: your share of YouTube Premium and Music Premium.
- YouTube Content ID: ad money from other people's videos that used your song.
- Facebook, Instagram and Meta: uses of your song in Reels, Stories and posts. Meta reports by country and use, so expect many lines worth a few paise each.
- Saavn or JioSaavn, Amazon Unlimited and Prime, Apple Music or iTunes, Spotify, Gaana.
- Caller tunes: active caller tunes on Indian telecoms.
Negative lines and corrections
A minus amount is a correction: a store reversed money it reported earlier, most often for streams it later judged artificial, or for a reporting error. Corrections can arrive months after the original line.
How your share is worked out on SUF
Your share is a percentage of net receipts, the money that actually reaches SUF after each store takes its cut: 80% on Debut, 85% on Rising and Label Starter, 90% on Pro and Label Pro, and 95% on Signature and Label Enterprise. If a song has splits, each payee's share is applied after that. Every line in your statement already shows your money, so you never have to do this sum yourself.
Reading the Money page
- Available to withdraw: what you can request now, if it is above your plan's minimum.
- Clearing: money that is already yours, waiting for its release date. Not a deduction.
- Being processed: withdrawals requested or approved, not yet paid.
- Paid to you: everything transferred, plus any tax withheld on your behalf.
- Download any period as CSV or PDF for your records or your accountant.
Common questions
Why does Spotify show streams but my royalties show zero?
Spotify for Artists shows streams within a day or two, but stores pay about two to three months later. The money appears once the store's report for that month arrives.
Why do I have hundreds of lines worth a few paise?
Stores report every song, country and use separately. Meta and YouTube in particular send many small lines; they add up.
What does a negative amount mean?
A correction: the store reversed money it reported before, often for streams judged artificial or a reporting error.
Is the amount on my statement before or after SUF's share?
After. Each line shows your share at your plan's rate, so the total is what you earned.
Keep reading
What could your music earn?
Estimate your royalties in rupees across Spotify, YouTube, JioSaavn and caller tunes.
Open the royalty calculator