German Pop Singer Balbina’s Struggle with Meager Royalties from Streaming
German pop singer Balbina has spoken out about the meager royalties she receives from streaming her music on platforms like Spotify. In an interview with the Zeitmagazin, Balbina revealed that in the past year, she earned a total of 343.36 euros from her songs on the popular streaming service.
This stark contrast to her earlier success, when her music was sold on CDs and she was able to make a living from her craft. Balbina is not alone in her criticism of the current royalty model, which pays artists a percentage of the total streams, regardless of the song’s popularity. Herbert Grönemeyer, a renowned German musician, has also spoken out against the system, calling it “a criminal model” that leaves many artists struggling to make a living.
Grönemeyer, who has been a vocal critic of the music industry’s shift towards streaming, believes that the middle class of artists is being pushed to the brink of financial ruin. “The middle tier is collapsing” he said, citing Balbina as an example of a talented artist who is struggling to make ends meet.
Despite the challenges, Balbina continues to produce music, releasing her fifth album, “Infinity Tunes”, just last week. The German music industry has seen significant growth in recent years, with a record 2.38 billion euros in revenue in 2024, according to the Bundesverband Musikindustrie. However, the majority of this revenue, 78.1%, comes from streaming, a model that many artists feel is not serving them fairly.