Why Estonian musicians earn more from radio than Spotify streams
In Estonia, most musicians struggle to earn a steady income from Spotify. Only a handful of artists, like Syn Cole and Tommy Cash, rely on the platform for significant earnings. Meanwhile, traditional radio airplay remains a key source of revenue for many creators. The Estonian Authors' Society plays a central role in collecting and distributing royalties. It tracks each song’s broadcast time on radio and pays artists based on duration. However, payouts only occur if an artist’s music earns at least €30—below that, the society withholds payments for accounting reasons.
Artists can monitor their radio plays through the society’s self-service portal. Last year, the organisation distributed €9 million to creators, an increase from €7.6 million the year before. CEO Mati Kaalep notes that Spotify streams do not directly translate into fair compensation for Estonian artists. The platform’s data on musical works is sometimes inaccurate, leading to payment discrepancies. On the other hand, revenue from TV, video-on-demand, and cinema has become more efficiently distributed in recent years.
While Spotify remains a popular platform, its financial benefits for most Estonian artists are limited. The Estonian Authors' Society continues to rely on radio tracking for fairer payouts. For now, traditional broadcasting still provides more reliable earnings than streaming for the majority of musicians.
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