How much do I get paid if I monetize and distribute through SoundCloud for Artists?
How and when do I get paid on SoundCloud for Artists?
What do I need to do to get paid?
Why didn’t I receive a payment?
What is withholding tax / why am I being taxed?
How much do I get paid if I monetize and distribute through SoundCloud for Artists?
As of November 2025, we updated our monetization and distribution royalty share rate from 80% to 100%. You receive 100% of any earnings, whether from activity on SoundCloud or on other platforms.
Full transparency: Our payout processor now applies a small processing fee to each payout, as low as $0.50 USD. There are no hidden fees or surprise deductions. You’ll see your estimated payout fee when adding or editing your payout method.
How and when do I get paid on SoundCloud for Artists?
You will receive your payouts via the payout method you’ve added in SoundCloud for Artists. Your balance updates monthly, and payments are auto-deposited once earnings reach $25 USD or more. If payout fees reduce your earnings below $25, payments will be delayed until your balance exceeds $25 after fees are deducted.
Our payout processor charges a small fee per payout, as low as $0.50 USD. There are no hidden fees or surprise deductions. You’ll see your estimated payout fee when adding or editing your payout method. You can reference a list of estimated fees here.
As a first-time earner on SoundCloud, your earnings dashboard may not show data until 45–60 days after your initial monetization or distribution approval. This is because we first need to set up your profiles across our partner platforms and begin collecting your royalties.
Once everything is up and running, earnings will continue to appear with a delay of about two months. This is standard across the industry—music platforms typically report and send royalties to us on a 30–45 day cycle, and additional processing time is required before those earnings are reflected in your dashboard.
What do I need to do to get paid?
Before you can get paid, visit the Monetization tab within your SoundCloud for Artists dashboard to complete the following three tasks:
- Complete your Payout & Tax Information
- Sign our Terms of Use for SoundCloud for Artists
- Enable Two Factor Authentication*
How to Complete your Payout & Tax Information:
- Go to the Earnings section of your SoundCloud for Artists account
- Click the Payouts option
- Click +Add Payout Method and select Bank Transfer or PayPal
- Enter your information as an individual, or as a business if you file taxes that way
- Select your payout method
- Once you’ve entered your payout method details, click to Submit a Tax Form
- Enter all required information and proceed through the prompts to complete your tax form
- Choose whether you’d like to receive your end-of-year tax form via E-Delivery or Postal Mail
- You can return to this at any time if you need to edit your tax form or update your payout method.
While most artists no longer require a 2FA app to distribute or monetize content, a small group may still be required to use it for account security.
Why didn’t I receive a payment?
The most common reason you didn’t receive a payment is that your payout details or tax information haven’t been completed on your SoundCloud account. Payments can’t be sent until both are fully set up.
Another common reason is that your earnings didn’t meet the $25 payout minimum. If payout fees bring your balance below $25, your payment will be delayed until your earnings exceed $25 after fees are deducted.
Our payout processor charges a small fee per payout (as low as $0.50 USD). There are no hidden fees—you’ll always see the estimated fee when adding or updating your payout method.
Finally, while two-factor authentication (2FA) is no longer required for most artists, it is still mandatory for some accounts. We recommend keeping 2FA enabled to ensure your account remains secure and eligible for payouts.
Why does my balance show $0 if I haven't been paid yet?
At present, royalty statements are available a few days before payments are sent. If your statement shows a $0 balance but you haven't received your payment yet, don't worry! Payments are usually processed on the last business day of the month. If you don't see the payment in your account within 1-2 days, please contact us via our AI agent, who will escalate your case to SoundCloud Support.
What is Split Pay?
Split Pay is a tool that allows you to easily list collaborators on your tracks and assign them a percentage of the earnings. You enter the splits, and we take care of the rest.
Splits can be added during the distribution process before the release is approved, or after approval in the Split Pay tab!
You can now add collaborators you’d like to split earnings with by entering their SoundCloud profile URL or profile permalink. This ensures that the relevant royalties are routed to the right place and that your collaborators won’t end up with multiple SC4A accounts to manage.
What is withholding tax / why am I being taxed?
We implemented tax withholding to remain compliant with US earnings regulations. The money we send to clients is recognized by the US government as income; therefore, a certain amount must be withheld so we may pay them for the amounts sent abroad. Here is the official resource. We recommend consulting a tax professional for any additional advice.