YouTube has revealed that it paid $8 billion to music industry rights-holders in the past year.

The payment – revealed by global head of music Lyor Cohen – covers the period between July 2024 and June 2025.

“This payout reaffirms YouTube’s role as a positive contributor to the music ecosystem and is a testament to the success of YouTube’s twin-engine model (advertising and subscriptions) and the company's commitment to building a sustainable long-term home for artists, songwriters, and rights holders globally,” said a statement.

The $8 billion annual figure means that YouTube is among the most valuable partners for the sector. Spotify reported that it paid out $10 billion in 2024 – the biggest single payment by a music retailer.

YouTube now has more than 125 million Music and Premium subscribers globally (including trials) and two billion logged-in viewers who watch music videos each month. 

“This global footprint, available in over 100 countries and 80 languages, is enabling worldwide monetisation for artists at unprecedented scale,” stated YouTube.

For more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to receive our daily Morning Briefing newsletter