Why this matters
NFT royalties sound straightforward — set a percentage and earn it on every resale — but the actual payout is always lower than the headline number suggests. Marketplaces charge their own fee on top of the royalty, and depending on the platform, that fee may be deducted before or alongside the royalty calculation. An artist who sets a 10% royalty on a 5 ETH sale expects 0.5 ETH, but after OpenSea's 2.5% marketplace fee, the math depends on whether the fee reduces the sale price or is separate. Understanding the exact net amount you receive is essential for pricing your art, evaluating which marketplace to list on, and projecting income.
The royalty ecosystem has shifted significantly since 2022. Some newer marketplaces like Blur have made royalties optional, meaning buyers can choose to pay zero royalty to the creator. This makes it more important than ever for creators to understand not just what they would earn in an ideal scenario, but what they actually earn after all fees. The calculator accounts for both the creator royalty percentage and the marketplace fee, giving you the gross royalty, the platform deduction, and the final net payout.
Fee breakdown example
| Component | Calculation | 5 ETH Sale at 7.5% royalty, 2.5% fee |
|---|---|---|
| Sale Price | Input | 5.000 ETH |
| Gross Royalty | Sale price times royalty % | 0.375 ETH |
| Marketplace Fee | Sale price times fee % | 0.125 ETH |
| Net Creator Payout | Gross royalty minus marketplace fee | 0.250 ETH |
How to use it
Enter the NFT sale price in your preferred currency unit (ETH, USD, or any amount).
Set the creator royalty percentage — most collections use between 5% and 10%.
Enter the marketplace fee percentage, such as 2.5% for OpenSea or 0% for platforms with no fee.
Read the gross royalty amount, the marketplace fee amount, and the net creator payout.
Compare across different marketplaces by changing the fee percentage to see which platform maximises your earnings.
Testing your result
Verify the math manually for a 2 ETH sale with a 10% royalty and a 2.5% marketplace fee. The gross royalty is 2 times 0.10, which equals 0.20 ETH. The marketplace fee is 2 times 0.025, which equals 0.05 ETH. The net creator payout is 0.20 minus 0.05, giving 0.15 ETH. Test with zero marketplace fee to confirm the net payout equals the gross royalty. Test with zero royalty to confirm the creator receives nothing regardless of the sale price.
Common mistakes
Assuming the marketplace fee is deducted from the royalty rather than understanding how it affects the total transaction split.
Setting a royalty above 10%, which many marketplaces cap or buyers simply bypass on optional-royalty platforms.
Not accounting for royalty enforcement differences across platforms — some honour the smart contract, others let buyers opt out.
Forgetting that royalty income is typically taxed as ordinary income in most jurisdictions.
Comparing royalties across marketplaces without normalising for different fee structures.
Edge cases and options
Most NFT smart contracts allow creators to set a royalty between 0% and 10%, though the actual enforcement depends on the marketplace. On platforms that respect the ERC-2981 standard, royalties are enforced at the contract level. On others, especially newer volume-focused platforms, the royalty is optional and the buyer decides whether to pay it. The calculator works with any currency unit you enter — it performs pure percentage arithmetic, so you can use ETH, USD, SOL, or any other unit. The fee structure is a simple percentage model, which covers the majority of marketplace fee designs.
Real-world use cases
NFT artists comparing net earnings across OpenSea, Rarible, and Blur to decide which marketplace to prioritise for new drops.
Collectors estimating how much of a resale actually goes to the original creator before making a purchase decision.
Tax planning by projecting annual royalty income across multiple secondary sales with different fee structures.
Gallery owners or agents managing collections and needing to report expected net royalties to artists.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is an NFT royalty?
A: An NFT royalty is a percentage of each secondary sale that is paid to the original creator. It is enforced by the smart contract and collected automatically on most marketplaces.
Q: Which marketplaces support royalties?
A: OpenSea, Rarible, LooksRare, and most major marketplaces support creator royalties. Some newer platforms (like Blur) have reduced or optional royalties.
Q: Can I set different royalty percentages?
A: Yes — most NFT contracts let creators set a royalty between 0% and 10%. Some collections use custom royalty tiers for different marketplaces.
Q: Are royalties taxed?
A: Yes — royalty income is typically taxed as ordinary income. Consult a tax professional for your jurisdiction.
Q: Are my inputs stored?
A: No. Everything computes locally in your browser.
Q: What is ERC-2981?
A: ERC-2981 is the Ethereum standard for NFT royalties. It allows creators to encode royalty information directly in the smart contract so marketplaces can read and enforce it automatically.
Start using it now
Try the NFT Royalty Calculator tool. See also Slippage Calculator, Token Swap Calculator, and Crypto Tax Calculator.
