Small Fish In A Big Stream: Local Artists On the Problem With Spotify Statistics New Zealand thinks the average Kiwi household spends $29.40 per week on “alcoholic beverages, tobacco and illicit drugs”. Even at this ridiculously low-balled estimate, Spotify’s own figures show just 2.6% of their 7 million musicians made enough money in a year to pay for these essentials of daily living — about $1,500. When rock ‘n roll can’t even buy you sex, drugs or booze, you know something’s seriously fucked up. For Radio One chart-toppers Night Lunch, being on a streaming service was vital, as “the default way people listen to music.” However, despite being on all the major streaming platforms, they haven’t exactly been raking in big bucks: “for us, a small band, we haven't made back what it cost to be distributed to streaming platforms.”