Taylor Swift made more money in 2016 than Justin Bieber, Jay-Z and Beyoncé combined

Taylor Swift. Photo / Getty

For an artist who has taken a year out of releasing or promoting music, Taylor Swift hasn't done badly: the 27-year-old has topped Forbes' list of The World's Highest-Paid Musicians 2016 after earning $170 million US - dwarfing all five members of One Direction put together, who were in second place with an annual salary of $110 million, and reaping nearly double of British superstar Adele's $80 million takings.

Adele is performing in New Zealand and Australia early next year. Photo / Getty

Swift is no stranger to highest-earning lists. While she spent most of this year causing speculation about her love life after being spotted with Tom Hiddleston and breaking up with Calvin Harris (with whom she completed the highest-earning couple in music in 2015), Swift has been enjoying the paycheques from her 1989 tour that spanned the globe throughout 2015.

Swift's 1989 tour took $200 million US in North America alone, considerably more than the record held by the Rolling Stones, and grossed a quarter of a billion dollars across the world.

Taylor Swift tops the Forbes Highest Paid Musician list year. Photo / Getty

The album it was supporting, also called 1989, sold more than 9 million copies after Swift took a stand against releasing it for free on subscription services.

Although Swift hasn't released her own music this year, she has been writing it for other people - including Rihanna, with This Is What You Came For, and Little Big Town.

But a considerable chunk of that whopping salary will have come from her endorsement deals: Apple, Diet Coke and Keds are among the brands paying her to be an ambassador.

Adele became one of the best-selling artists of 2015 despite releasing her album 25 in November last year, and the record's record-breaking sales figures, combined with a sold-out Adele Live world tour, saw her listed in third place on the list.

Adele's tour continues into the beginning of next year and she will be playing two "final" shows at Wembley in June, which should secure her position in the highest-earning lists of 2017, even if she does take a break from music, as she has suggested. Most of her money this year has been made through album sales.

Justin Bieber performed his World Purpose Tour this year. Photo / Getty

Justin Bieber is the youngest musician on the list, earning more than double his 22 years with a fortune of $56 million, an equal amount to Paul McCartney and Kenny Chesney. Bieber embarked upon the Purpose World Tour this year, following the release of his album last year.

The World's Highest-Paid Musicians 2016 in full ($US):

1.Taylor Swift ($170 million)
2.One Direction ($110 million)
3.Adele ($80.5 million)
4.Madonna ($76.5 million)
5.Rihanna ($75 million)
6.Garth Brooks ($70 million)
7.AC/DC ($67.5 million)
8.Rolling Stones ($66.5 million)
9.Calvin Harris ($63 million)
10.Diddy ($62 million)
11.Bruce Springsteen ($60.5 million)
12.Paul McCartney ($56.5 million)
13.Justin Bieber ($56 million, tie)
14.Kenny Chesney ($56 million, tie)
15.U2 ($55 million, tie)
16.The Weeknd ($55 million, tie)
17.Beyoncé ($54 million)
18.Jay Z ($53.5 million)
19.Luke Bryan ($53 million)
20.Muse ($49 million)