ListNook

Shiney2510 Apr 2, 2026 +128

The royalties are going to Elizabeth Taylor's estate which oversees her archives and the foundation, it's not a donation to the foundation. That article refers to the BBC as it's source but doesn't quote it correctly.

128

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 +223

How much “royalties” does a music video produce? Are we talking YouTube spins? I’m not reading an article from the IBTimes.

223

GoofyMonkey Apr 2, 2026 +76

Depends on the views obviously. Could be hundreds of thousands, could be millions.

76

FauxReal Apr 2, 2026 +5

And the terms of her contract which I would guess are better than a lot of other people's.

5

GoofyMonkey Apr 2, 2026 +4

Yea. I have to think her videos would fall under the “very advertiser friendly” category.

4

[deleted] Apr 2, 2026 -9

[deleted]

-9

206-Ginge Apr 2, 2026 +16

Quick Google search puts YouTube Music's payout per stream at $0.0071 on the low end. That translates to $7,100 per million views. "Fate of Ophelia" has 348M views. So that's an estimated payout of $2,470,800. Using YouTube Music payout numbers. Looks like video payout numbers might be higher, though I also see a number as low as $0.002 per view, which would be $696,000 for "Fate of Ophelia" It's possible that an artist of Taylor Swift's stature might be negotiating a higher payout per stream. It's possible that $0.0071 number is entirely bullshit (streaming payouts don't really work like that anyway, they pool the revenue and then divide it to artists based on how many streams they have is my understanding, sounds the same but it's slightly different). Entirely possible she's making like $500k per music video on YouTube, though.

16

GoofyMonkey Apr 2, 2026 +3

Depends how many people watch. It's possible though. Her big videos have billions of views.

3

powerlesshero111 Apr 2, 2026 -7

Millions of pennies maybe.

-7

dr-dog69 Apr 2, 2026 +34

Millions of dollars

34

micromoses Apr 2, 2026 +5

You have an issue with the irritable bowel times?

5

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 +1

Only in times like these. Two tic-tacs often help, though.

1

Please-AsteroidNow Apr 2, 2026 +46

Good call because this is a bullshit article anyway. The royalties are going to Elizabeth Taylor’s estate. The estate is set up to donate a portion of its funds to the AIDS foundation. Taylor Swift isn’t donating directly to the AIDS foundation, she’s simply paying royalties to the estate.

46

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +35

Where are you getting this information? Because the article doesn’t mention it, but cites the BBC saying the money will go to the Foundation.

35

Please-AsteroidNow Apr 2, 2026 +23

I got the information directly from the BBC article. Not this trash.

23

FauxReal Apr 2, 2026 -2

I read the BBC one too, it's different than what ibtimes is saying. Though it sounds like she is still donating her royalties and it's not just a fee for using Taylor's likeness.

-2

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 +4

What amazes me is how the folks replying to me know the economics of music video revenue. I’ve never seen a single article about it; and while they may be correct I highly doubt it. One commenter said that a single music video would generate enough revenue to keep 5 generations of her family wealthy. How do you even respond to such ……misinformation? Stupidity? This person may be a an expert in music-videology but they sure have never read anything about how the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of billionaires spend money until there’s nothing left. I wonder if any reading at all was involved in them acquiring an expertise in music-videology, or if social-media and YouTube essays was all that it took to be so educated and informed 🤔

4

TheRealBillyShakes Apr 2, 2026 +14

Coming from someone who can’t be troubled to read an article, this is hilarious

14

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 -8

I’m glad that I brought you some humour. I read articles, but not by these sorts of rubbish companies.

-8

rhapsodysoblue Apr 2, 2026 +1

BBC less rubbish for you? Go ahead and read that article.

1

RobertDigital1986 Apr 2, 2026 +4

> keep 5 generations of her family wealthy I always find these statements weird. If you get a big enough savings and don't violate the 3% rule, the money should last forever. If you spend it like it's going out of style you can blow it all in one generation. So how much money is "one generation's" worth in these ridiculous scenarios?

4

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 -4

You’re right. We may need TWO music videos to unlock the Infiniti-wealth glitch. Shake it off AND the one with the empty picture frame. You know, i can feel myself becoming more and more of an expert the more I think about it. I can now see how these listnook folks know so much on so many different topics.

-4

wallstreet-butts Apr 2, 2026 +3

Honestly if you understand anything at all about the entertainment business this is an easy one. As soon as I read the headline, knowing already that the video features footage of Elizabeth Taylor pretty much exclusively, it was clear what this is really about: she owes money to use the likeness and/or footage, and this is payment — not altruism.

3

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 -2

You are likely correct. At the same time I choose to believe that she’s also practising altruism. She clearly has some empathy and I don’t doubt for a moment that she’s given tens of millions away to charity; considering her immense wealth (and that it becomes a tax write-off). I’ll choose to believe this and hope that I’m correct. I also hope that Dolly makes sure to stay in touch with her so that she continue to inspire her to be as charitable as her conscience will allow.

-2

Please-AsteroidNow Apr 2, 2026

These people worship her and can’t be bothered with the truth. Someone asked me where I got my information and I told them I read the BBC article and of course that simple comment is being downvoted while they have over 20 upvotes for citing this shitty article.

0

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 -1

Listnook is a bit like an asylum these days. I remember when I used to take it somewhat seriously, back when u/unidan, and other such folks, were out there spreading their knowledge (and their alt accounts).

-1

mlavan Apr 2, 2026 -4

she doesn't owe the taylor estate anything? why would you think that just because taylor mentioned her, that she would be owed royalties?

-4

aspophilia Apr 2, 2026 +12

She is donating the royalties to the estate.

12

mlavan Apr 2, 2026

right. that's different than elizabeth taylor being owed royalties for the song. which is what is the person i replied to was arguing.

0

rhapsodysoblue Apr 2, 2026 +3

Are you capable of reading?

3

mlavan Apr 2, 2026 -6

do you understand how royalties work?

-6

ObstreperousOnion Apr 2, 2026 +2

Have you watched the video? You should watch the video probably

2

Please-AsteroidNow Apr 2, 2026 -4

It’s not what I think, it’s a fact. She’s paying royalties to the estate. You don’t seem to understand how any of this works so why not ask questions to learn instead of being confidently incorrect?

-4

mlavan Apr 2, 2026

taylor swift is donating the money that she earned through streaming. it has nothing to do with royalties. elizabeth taylor being the inspiration for the song doesn't mean that she's owed royalties.

0

Coriolanuscangetit Apr 2, 2026 +2

Someone reported that Swift paid 10 million up front for the footage licensing.

2

lostatsea_again Apr 2, 2026 +4

Cool. Interesting. Worth it, if you can afford it, to be associated with the icons of modern, popular history. Likely a solid investment for her, and some of it goes to charity.

4

Coriolanuscangetit Apr 2, 2026 +2

It seems altruistic, and a good way to pay it forward to an icon that obviously influenced her music. And a great way to help AIDS victims too, especially right now when healthcare funding has had cuts.

2

Dragon_yum Apr 2, 2026 +2

For her videos it will be a sizable sum. Their views are in the hundred millions

2

Rosebunse Apr 2, 2026 +22

Elizabeth Taylor did so much for AIDS research at a time when so many people were just scared and used that as justification to hurt people. She hugged infected people, let some of them live on her properties during clinical trials, and just did so much to bring dignity to a disease which took so much

22

goronmask Apr 2, 2026 +42

![gif](giphy|AgPt9udT567spxbSHf)

42

bourbon-onthe-rocks Apr 2, 2026 +66

Being mad at a woman who gives to charity and not mad at men who don't is f****** crazy. Where's Musk, Bezos, the fetal alcohol syndrome looking ceo of meta Nope, you just hate woman. That's it. She gives, he takes, she's bad, he good.

66

fakevegansunite Apr 2, 2026 +10

por que no los dos

10

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +17

Nah I hate all of them. I see Taylor Swift as Mr. Beast. They only donate the amount that they know will still end in their own income increasing. They would never even consider donating money if it didn't make them more money in the long run. God forbid they actually donate enough to *lower* their net worth.

17

spitfyrez Apr 2, 2026 +3

That may very well be true, but I think you’re making a lot of assumptions/leaps there.

3

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +5

This is literally the only way you can become a billionaire. You do not get a billion dollars by accident or without whole teams of people spent to maximize your income.

5

spitfyrez Apr 2, 2026

I’m not saying Taylor Swift doesn’t have a lot of wealth (she in fact does), but I think it’s important to give it some critical thought. Her music catalog is *valued* according to Google lol is nearly a billion. It’s not like she’s gonna sell the thing she’s been working years to get back in order to disburse her wealth. It’s ridiculous to think that. So obviously what you suggested is not the sole way to become a billionaire. That being said, she of course has wealth she could donate and she of course has other things (jet use, merchandise, etc.) that she could change for the better.

0

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +1

Taylor's catalog is valued at a billion dollars *because* this is how it works, and not the either way around. Her financial planners are what drove the changes that increased the value of the catalog.

1

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +4

You cannot donate to the point of increasing your income.

4

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 -7

Yes you can. Mr. Beast makes more donating than he does not donating.

-7

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +1

How do you think that works?

1

LadyPo Apr 2, 2026 +7

I assume what they’re referring to is how he makes content out of his donations, the videos go viral, he earns more ad revenue and sponsorships, thus perpetuating the cycle. Mr. Beast takes a pretty sizable cut as the owner of the operation, the recipients benefit monetarily, and it might inspire generosity among his viewers. Still, the operation model has been criticized for making a spectacle out of the recipients’ suffering. Taylor Swift’s situation is quite different. And just to be clear, I don’t have a dog in this race.

7

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +3

Because the notoriety generated around the donation lead to second level effects that increase income more than the actual donation costs. It's for press.

3

normanbeets Apr 2, 2026 -2

Taylor literally goes to hospitals and spends time with children dying of terminal illnesses. She doesn't get paid for that.

-2

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +11

She gets free press from it, it's cheaper than paying for other PR. Celebrities are not your friends. If she genuinely cared about the world she would stop pumping out so much plastic junk made by sweatshops in Asia.

11

FuzzyPresence8531 Apr 2, 2026 +9

she’s the only artist i can think of that pushes out variant after variant not different enough from each other, she wastes the plastic for $$$$$, don’t know why you’re downvoted it’s true. she only cares about the money, fame, awards, recognitions

9

cdg2m4nrsvp Apr 2, 2026 +2

Literally every single major artist right now does that. Billie Eilish had like 30 different variants of her last album. Blame billboard for making that part of how they calculate the charts, the artists are trying to perform.

2

normanbeets Apr 3, 2026 +2

Bleachers has at least 5 variants on this one album cycle alone. Billies last one had over a dozen.

2

normanbeets Apr 2, 2026 -2

I'm sure the 5 year olds dying of leukemia are thinking "wow she's only meeting me for PR."

-2

saera-targaryen Apr 2, 2026 +3

You're right, the child must entirely understand the economics behind the decision for the economics to actually work.

3

normanbeets Apr 3, 2026 +1

It's just the fact that you don't give a shit what it means for the actual kids who will not live to see their futures that's boggling.

1

Pandoras_Penguin Apr 2, 2026 -16

Oh, we mad at them too, but they aren't dumb enough to keep putting themselves in the public eye like Swift does

-16

DifficultOpposite614 Apr 2, 2026 +15

Putting herself in the public eye is literally how she makes money to be able to give donations like this but ok

15

Ethiconjnj Apr 2, 2026 +8

Maybe Taylor is smart enough to not give a f*** about haters in social media comment sections.

8

FruitGauze Apr 2, 2026 -5

not smart enough to close her mouth though lol https://preview.redd.it/yera5438qssg1.jpeg?width=357&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7180da4fe11c5c22b382d2eccdf15d8b4133762

-5

Ethiconjnj Apr 3, 2026 +1

3 month old account posting hater content.

1

FruitGauze Apr 3, 2026 +1

what does the age of my account matter? so the pictures i posted are fake? how is posting facts “hating”? try again lol

1

pnoodl3s Apr 2, 2026

Singer won’t close her mouth, more news at 11

0

aikonriche Apr 3, 2026

Taylor Swift is too untalented to be successful. She should be donating all her net worth to charity.

0

Alexhite Apr 2, 2026 +29

Good for her!

29

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +18

Would love to see some gift receipts posted along with the comments criticizing this move.

18

illinoishokie Apr 2, 2026 +59

Can't wait to read in the comments how this makes her a terrible person.

59

harmonicsapien Apr 2, 2026 +3

Can’t wait to read the can’t wait post waiting for hate. Like clockwork.

3

iH8MotherTeresa Apr 2, 2026 -1

For real. What ever happened to just waiting for the comments, *then* complaining? Geez louise

-1

illinoishokie Apr 2, 2026 +3

I'm glad I could be here for you

3

harmonicsapien Apr 2, 2026

Thanks, g. Pretty wholesome. 🥹

0

illinoishokie Apr 2, 2026 +1

The problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans in this world, but we'll always have Listnook.

1

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 -40

Can't wait to see how this makes her a saint girlboss wow look at the billionaire actually do something worthwhile

-40

violaki Apr 2, 2026 +28

Idk why it’s so hard for people to go “oh that’s nice” without turning it into cult-like adulation or doing mental gymnastics to make it weird hate fodder

28

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 -39

because real talk I do not like this b**** or her vapid music or her lack of activism and this does not cut it for me. downvote me all you want, she's not a saint. oh noo an opinionnn

-39

violaki Apr 2, 2026 +24

Ya see idk why you don’t just scroll past if someone donating to charity actively upsets you. She isn’t a saint, but this is a weird level of anger in response to this particular piece of news

24

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 -21

Because I am sick of her fanbase yaaas queening her every move and her dogshit music, and I'm a salty old b****, and because I can. ✌️

-21

UpboatOrNoBoat Apr 2, 2026 +11

Where are you interacting where you see TS fan girls constantly praising her? Just stop going to those places lmao. I literally never see it.

11

ziddersroofurry Apr 2, 2026 +13

You're kind of annoying. I say that as someone who doesn't really listen to Swift's music but holy shit, lady. She ain't Hitler, calm down.

13

violaki Apr 2, 2026 +9

Some people just enjoy being mad I guess hahaha

9

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 -4

💖 it's an opinion sweetie

-4

soggynugget80 Apr 2, 2026 +10

Well it's a stupid opinion "sweetie!" 😍🩷

10

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 +1

No you queen!! She sucks!! 😍💖✌️

1

Princeps32 Apr 2, 2026 +10

it’s definitely weird to hate this hard on a charity act though

10

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 -8

I absolutely can because she #1 tied it to a music video release to garner attention for herself instead of just hosting a charity, and 2, she's a billionaire that doesn't use her influence for F****** ANYTHING and when she does it is, again, only tied to making sure she gets those views and listeners

-8

Princeps32 Apr 2, 2026 +4

it’s good that a charity is getting money, and probably a decent amount. when big celebrities publicly give to charities it’s usually a good thing for the charity because it gives it more attention alongside the money. idk you do you i guess this just seems like the wrong thing

4

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 +2

She could do so much more and I think she deserves pushback on that. I think ALL billionaires deserve pushback for not championing a cause with their literal dragon's hoard of wealth. Especially Taylor, who has pretended very hard to care about anything in the past but now doesn't even try.

2

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +1

Post your donation receipts

1

DisastrousMango4 Apr 2, 2026 +1

i don't think anyone is downvoting you for having an opinion. it's because you have a bad opinion lol

1

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 +4

"I think Taylor Swift is a dogshit person and should not be praised for finally raising any charity as a billionaire" is a fine opinion to have.

4

DisastrousMango4 Apr 2, 2026

sure, but clearly *other* people don't think that's a fine opinion considering the downvotes?

0

throw019283 Apr 2, 2026 +4

They're mad because I'm criticizing their idol of course.

4

bootyhole-romancer Apr 2, 2026 -19

Agreed 💯💯💯

-19

prettygirlavenue Apr 2, 2026 -16

![gif](giphy|3NilJTOWAVvxYpfr6l|downsized)

-16

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026 +11

I'll be that guy. For anyone who has a basic understanding of how royalties work this probably won't amount to as much as people think. I guess it's the thought that counts, right?

11

Gamer_Grease Apr 2, 2026 +52

No, as a lifelong nonprofit fundraiser, it’s the money that counts, and this will be an amount of money they’ll be happy with.

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GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026 -6

And nothing but a PR stunt in a tax write-off

-6

dr-dog69 Apr 2, 2026 +25

It’s an exclusive video on Apple and Spotify. She probably got paid a lot for that exclusivity. And she probably has a contract for a better payout per stream than the standard rate. I would be surprised if the video didn’t make hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of dollars.

25

shuipz94 Apr 2, 2026 +1

It's available on YouTube now. It was exclusive on Apple Music and Spotify because views on those platforms count towards the Billboard charts while YouTube doesn't.

1

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026

You're exactly right that she's probably making more off of kickbacks or whatever then she would make off of donations. You think she's doing that because she really wants to? It's a PR stunt to stay relevant. Even if she ends up donating two million dollars that's less than 1% of her net worth.

0

emotions1026 Apr 2, 2026 +58

Will it still be better than the zero cents that almost certainly everyone on this thread has donated?

58

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026 -1

Assuming her net worth is still $2 billion then if she ends up donating 200k that be the equivalent of someone making 50K a year donating $5 or in other words 0.01% percent. Suck on that for a minute.

-1

emotions1026 Apr 2, 2026 +6

So did you donate $5?

6

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026 -3

I've never heard of this organization until today so the answer would be no. Did you? How much have you spent on TS?

-3

emotions1026 Apr 2, 2026 +4

You’re the one criticizing someone’s contribution, and saying that you could donate $5 and do the same and still choosing not to. So what does that say about you? I’m not criticizing anyone’s contribution. So if it’s so easy, go ahead and do it.

4

Mahaleck Apr 2, 2026 +2

Lol when you’re as rich as she is the thought doesn’t count, the amount counts.

2

SacredHaert Apr 2, 2026 +41

It's %100 more than I've ever donated to AIDS research .

41

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026

The " thought" is just enough to keep her cult engaged and supporting

0

themaskedcanuck Apr 2, 2026 -18

The PR that counts.

-18

justbunnies Apr 2, 2026 +16

Exactly. How many Swifties will copy their idol? I had no clue the charity existed before this. Edit: love the automatic Listnook hate for anyone who might be the tiniest bit positive towards that woman. Y’all are sad if that triggers you.

16

GunterJanek Apr 2, 2026 +1

That's how she works

1

[deleted] Apr 2, 2026 -4

[deleted]

-4

JuanJeanJohn Apr 2, 2026 +42

That isn’t true. It started with a tweet claiming the Guardian reported that and that number is nowhere to be found anywhere except social media posts. It’s a weird bit of misinfo.

42

ziddersroofurry Apr 2, 2026 +16

I assure you she didn't spend anywhere near that much. It's expensive to license clips but not THAT expensive.

16

Ethiconjnj Apr 2, 2026 +3

Social media idiot spreads lies on social media and wont ever self reflect because lying is the goal.

3

Sad-Math-2039 Apr 2, 2026 -37

And her fans will congratulate her for being so kind for donating pennies on the dollar while she breaks bread with right-wing trash. She isn't a good person. She's playing the role of a good person.

-37

GoofyMonkey Apr 2, 2026 +17

You can wake up each morning and choose to only see the bad in everything; to be a cynical asshat. Choose to not be that person for once and see how it goes.

17

Sad-Math-2039 Apr 2, 2026 -27

One grows to be a cynic, I wasn't always like this. Try being more clever or sincere if you're attempting to create impact.

-27

GoofyMonkey Apr 2, 2026 +4

Sorry boss. I'll try to come up with more witty comments like "No one has been on your d*** since your uncle during that one camping trip. Relax." next time.

4

Sad-Math-2039 Apr 2, 2026 -1

Thanks for noticing, that's sweet of you!

-1

MadameK8 Apr 2, 2026 -10

Maybe people wouldn’t be so cynical if they didn’t have to constantly hear TS getting glazed 24/7

-10

willreview Apr 2, 2026 -17

Spot on

-17

prettygirlavenue Apr 2, 2026 -23

![gif](giphy|3ohc12cy8AerHN2u8U|downsized)

-23

3141592652 Apr 2, 2026 -31

Legit the greediest musician of our time.

-31

ceegee84 Apr 2, 2026 +12

Based on? Seems to treat her band and tour crew much better than most other artists. Concert ticket prices were fairly standard for stadium shows. Seems to be far more obvious candidates for greediest musicians

12

prettygirlavenue Apr 2, 2026 -14

![gif](giphy|1hMjMXeDsbegDcJFbm|downsized)

-14

Sad-Math-2039 Apr 2, 2026 -33

Musician. You use that term loosely.

-33

prettygirlavenue Apr 2, 2026 -25

Very generous and liberal use of the term I thought

-25

ceegee84 Apr 2, 2026 +8

You know people can see your post history?

8

Crystal_Pesci Apr 2, 2026 -11

Taylor Swift does nothing without making sure her well oiled PR machine pumps multiple headlines about it

-11

Pandoras_Penguin Apr 2, 2026 -7

Yup, what she trying to keep us from looking at now, as she always donates when bad PR comes out

-7

D_o_t_d_2004 Apr 2, 2026 -6

Nice tax break. Edit: Why do you think billionaires give to charity? It's all for the tax breaks. She is not a good person.

-6

planktivious Apr 2, 2026 -36

....she evil though* 😆 🤣 😂

-36

Kanegou Apr 2, 2026 -40

virtue signalling

-40

censorized Apr 2, 2026 -7

I'd be really impressed if she stopped manipulating the algorithms to give other musicians a shot at even a fraction of her financial success, and just generally be more like Dolly. No one in her position needs more money, and I'd be really impressed if that stopped being her primary focus. But, like most billionaires, she'll just keep chasing more, and try and grab more headlines for taking a tax break like this.

-7

Tomusina Apr 2, 2026 -4

The amount of money she has she should be donating every cent she earns from now on tbh

-4

Taylor Swift Donates 'Elizabeth Taylor' Music Video Royalties to Late Actress' AIDS Foundation

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