Setting up Spotify Payouts in Spotify for Authors

For: Organization owners. Learn more about organization owners

If you’re located in the US, you must complete your payment profile in Spotify Payouts before you can publish audiobooks in Spotify for Authors.

1. Log in to authors.spotify.com
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select Organization then Payment profile.
4. Select Set up payment profile.
5. Select Set up Spotify Payouts. You’ll be taken to the Spotify Payouts website.
6. Click Get started and select Audiobook under Content options.

If you’re located in the US and signed up for Spotify for Authors before May 4th, 2026, you’ll continue to use Tipalti.

Spotify Payouts is not yet available to authors or authors who publish through Spotify for Authors who are outside the US. Refer to our help article here to sign up for our payment provider, Tipalti.

Signing up as a business or an individual

Choose whether you’d like to sign up as an individual or business. You won’t be able to change this selection in the future.

There are no differences in the service or payout frequency between individual and business, the major difference is in which tax forms you fill out for payouts:

• Business payouts are made payable to a company, which is a legally recognized business entity that is separate from its owner for tax purposes.
• Individual payouts are made directly to private individuals and not a legal organization, and taxes are filed in the owner’s name on a personal tax return.

Region

Select the region you, or your business, reside in. The region you select will need to match the regional currency used on the bank account you onboard for tax purposes.

Spotify Payouts is not yet available to authors or publishers who are outside the US.

Name and contact details

Use your legal name or legal business name. Don’t use a pen name or pseudonym.

When digitally signing the tax form, make sure to use the exact name you entered earlier.

Tax forms

You will be asked to complete tax certifications in order for Spotify to comply with its obligations under the United States ("U.S.") Internal Revenue Code Chapters 3 and 61.

The tax certification you provide is based on your residency and status as a U.S. resident for United States Tax purposes, and it will help us identify the correct rate of withholding tax on payments made to you, if applicable. Please see additional information below.

To be paid as an individual, we need your:

• Legal name
• Home address
• Social security number (SSN) or equivalent
  Note: We collect your SSN for tax purposes in order to pay you and to file any required tax information reporting

To be paid as a business, we typically need your:

• Business’ legal name
• Business type
• Business address
• Tax identification number (TIN) or equivalent
• VAT/GST Number

If you’re a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, we need your:

• Legal name
• Home address
• Tax identification number (TIN) or equivalent
• VAT/GST Number

Authors or authors who publish through Spotify for Authors who are considered U.S persons will be required to submit IRS form W-9 before being paid out for the first time. The “Tax Certification” can be reached from within Spotify Payouts where you will be asked to certify your tax information. Spotify will not withhold US taxes on earnings if you have provided valid tax info.

For U.S. federal tax purposes, you are considered a U.S. person if you are an individual who is a U.S. resident or U.S. resident alien; a partnership, corporation, company, or association created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the U.S.; a U.S. estate; or a U.S. domestic trust. If you need further assistance while filling out this form, we recommend you reach out to your tax advisor for additional guidance.

1099-NEC

If you earn $600 or more during the year, we generate a 1099-NEC form for you:

• We aim to provide it by January 31
• You need this info when reporting your taxes
• Update your tax info in your account before January 1 each year if anything changes
• If you haven’t received your 1099-NEC by mid-February, email coupa-support@spotify.com

Note: 1099s are only required for individuals, partnerships, and LLCs. If you’re a corporation or an LLC-C/S, you’re not eligible for a 1099.

Changed address?

Update your info in your account before January 1 each year.

Need a new 1099?

To request a revised 1099, email coupa-support@spotify.com with:

• A copy of the 1099 you received from us
• Your old W9

If a correction is needed, we’ll send an updated 1099 with your current tax info and issue a new one for your old info.

Payment methods

Spotify Payouts only supports bank accounts for payouts.

Setting up 2-step verification

We require you to activate 2-step verification if you’ve earned $1,000 USD or more within one month.

If you don’t activate 2-step verification within 30 days of reaching this earnings threshold, your payouts will be placed on hold. If this happens, your earnings will continue to accrue until you’ve activated 2-step verification on your account.

Learn how to set up 2-step verification