We all like to stream music but not all artistes like to be a part of it, for many of them feel that the technology has failed them when it comes to pay. But who’s paying better, Apple Music or Spotify?

Apple is not known for giving away too much information but it seems that they are on a higher ground when it comes to artiste pay as far as Apple Music goes. According to a letter from the company posted on its artist dashboard, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Apple Music’s payment rate for artists and labels is a penny per stream on average. It is higher than Spotify, which has a baffling variable rate scheme that, according to The Verge, basically tops out at a half-penny per stream.

In the letter, it’s mentioned that Apple’s rates vary by subscription plan and country but on an average, it’s a penny-per-stream. Spotify, on the other hand, doesn’t want to talk about per-stream payments, which the company says can be misleading. The Swedish streaming service has a website called Loud&Clear to help artists and fans understand how payments work, among which is an explanation why per-stream rates are not the right thing to focus on.

In terms of subscriptions, Spotify leads with 155 million, out of 345 million total active users, including those who listen free to the ad-supported tier. Apple last reported more than 60 million (Apple) Music subscribers in June 2019.

Spotify has a biggish ad-supported music service alongside the paid Spotify Premium tier but Apple Music only offers a paid service. During the pandemic, artistes have suffered greatly because of the loss of touring revenue and are demanding bigger payouts from music streaming.