I agree with all you wrote. The thing is easily put this way: if you wanna play their game, you have to follow their rules. They, being the music industry major players. Could it be the problem musicians aiming to instant recognition? I believe the music we make, if it has “quality”, will find its way to the people that will enjoy it. It will take time, but it will happen.
Spotify is a niche. If you’re there, few people will know or find you there. If you’re not, well, some people will understand why…
I interviewed a band today and we got around to talking about Spotify and one of the guys said "I hold two thoughts. Spotify is fucking us while also helping us." Because people discover them on Spotify and then buy a ticket to their show and then buy a t-shirt or record that night.
I looked at Spotify's breakdown of the streams we've seen on our christmas-song. Funnily enough we had our highest amount of streams on January 21st, almost 1 month after we were done with christmas.
A total of 2028 streams, with a solid peak of 713 streams on said January 21st. Seems legit...
I feel the musician's pain, but as you noted, it is only a symptom of a problem. I'm not a musician, and for me, Spotify was a revolution, and I re-discovered my love for music. I'm an active listener, and none of the lame tracks reach me. They send me great, great stuff; sometimes I find it too out there, even for me. But my question is: before the Internet, did musicians have it better? Music seems to be the hardest art to break in and make money with. I think Spotify, for most musicians, is more like a showcase channel.
I think that NOT boycotting Spotify, simply encourages them to keep up with their shenanigans.
Why should independent artists really care about record labels anyway, unless the labels are ALSO independent and have the same core values as the artists they serve? Record labels made by artists, for artists.
We also need that next new wave of online presence that will (hopefully) dethrone Spotify and streaming as we know it.
Thanks for this perspective. I think many of the issues discussed go back a long, long time in different forms (e.g. The Archies (I can’t control real people so I’ll create a cartoon band), The Monkees fighting for creative freedom, the San Fran scene of the 60s), but the sheer size of Spotify and its control of the industry is a massive new dimension.
Leaving this year but as you say that doesn’t help necessarily (unless everyone does). Will it take some government action around the world? Consumer demand? We shall see but I live in hope.
Unfortunately the music industry isn’t alone and other creative industries seem destined for obliteration.
Thanks for the article! Yep, looks like we're going to have to get realllly creative here as independent musicians. Not that we haven't been so far, but being between an old system that is still in place and a new one that is to be invented surely ain't easy. Looks like you have a great foundation in your fam base and that's real helpful and heart warming!
I’m having to make more and more of an effort to actively engage with music these days. I don’t listen to algorithm playlists but I do find myself listening to my custom playlists of familiar songs more and more to the detriment of discovering new music. It’s just there on my phone, no effort needed. The days of high streets with music shops next to workplaces you went every day seems to be over, and for me personally is just as an important part of the changed behaviour. Killing time buying random records on a work break was my life for 15 years. I miss it.
Isn't this a Rabbit Hole? After all, trying to be popular at Spotify is a dead end path for independent bands/individuals. As you described, even being quiet successfull in a independent scope won't give you enough numbers anyway.
A lot of smart people are thinking and writing about how this model is unsustainable (I agree), and Spotify is the perfect incarnation of the model, so being part of it won't make much different as it is designed to make independent artists fail while producing content to the platform. As long as a new ecosystem is not created, being in or out won't make much difference.
I’m part owner of an independent rock and roll label. Let me tell you, it’s a grind. We are on every digital platform, and Spotify dominates. We primarily sell vinyl, distributed but mostly DTC. The Spotify numbers unfortunately give promoters a litmus on potential ticket sales, but I think there’s some bits going on there. I’m trying to crack the code still. Thanks for the thorough read!
Very well written. I love Spotify for its UI, how easy it is to use (can’t stand Apple Music UI for some
Reason) and I love how I have so much great music at my fingertips. However,
I dislike it for how little it pays all of us (songwriters and musicians) and especially since it’s conspiring against us..?? but yes.. you ask an intelligent question… what to do about it? I will not quit it. And I have sold millions of albums (in the past as a co-writer, nothing current) so it does affect me, but like you said.. what are we left to do? Thank you for a such a great read.
Incredible and very appropriate and necessary article.
I’m a music promoter and my go to metric is usually checking if an artist is on bandcamp and having a nosey at how many people bought a record or single. It’s a more reliable metric than Spotify data because the people who bought a record are more likely to buy a gig ticket.
Also - I have a job to do in spreading the word about your art to other people in my community. Spotify numbers can’t touch that reality.
Thanks for the great text, as always. Besides the fact that we’ve been devaluing music for the past 20 something years (it all started with those horrible mp3s we all downloaded illegally back then), what I’m mad at the most is that the only metric that is valid now is number of plays/followers. That’s for the industry people but saldy also for the listeners.
I hate the way Spotify treats the artists and I’m learning all the time of more sinister goings on.
That said, I do use it for pre festival homework and by doing so have discovered some great new (to me) music. A physical record always wins for me though.
It’s also the way I listen to Queen Kwong now (even though I own everything) as my way of boosting Carrés numbers. Every little helps I suppose?
Someone drunkenly asked me once “given a choice would I rather be deaf or blind?” in a heartbeat I said blind… I simply cannot imagine a life without music and the thought that Spotify, Amazon or whoever could dilute the already shallow pool genuinely terrifies me.
It’s not that I can’t listen to “bad” music, you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good but if engineered, vanilla music blocks the path for the next QK what chance do we have?
Every little thing *does* help. Listeners like you literally keep me alive because of the emotional support and encouragement. There are great musicians and great fans who are doing everything right. It’s the industry and the business model failing artists rn.
I agree with all you wrote. The thing is easily put this way: if you wanna play their game, you have to follow their rules. They, being the music industry major players. Could it be the problem musicians aiming to instant recognition? I believe the music we make, if it has “quality”, will find its way to the people that will enjoy it. It will take time, but it will happen.
Spotify is a niche. If you’re there, few people will know or find you there. If you’re not, well, some people will understand why…
I interviewed a band today and we got around to talking about Spotify and one of the guys said "I hold two thoughts. Spotify is fucking us while also helping us." Because people discover them on Spotify and then buy a ticket to their show and then buy a t-shirt or record that night.
I looked at Spotify's breakdown of the streams we've seen on our christmas-song. Funnily enough we had our highest amount of streams on January 21st, almost 1 month after we were done with christmas.
A total of 2028 streams, with a solid peak of 713 streams on said January 21st. Seems legit...
I feel the musician's pain, but as you noted, it is only a symptom of a problem. I'm not a musician, and for me, Spotify was a revolution, and I re-discovered my love for music. I'm an active listener, and none of the lame tracks reach me. They send me great, great stuff; sometimes I find it too out there, even for me. But my question is: before the Internet, did musicians have it better? Music seems to be the hardest art to break in and make money with. I think Spotify, for most musicians, is more like a showcase channel.
I think that NOT boycotting Spotify, simply encourages them to keep up with their shenanigans.
Why should independent artists really care about record labels anyway, unless the labels are ALSO independent and have the same core values as the artists they serve? Record labels made by artists, for artists.
We also need that next new wave of online presence that will (hopefully) dethrone Spotify and streaming as we know it.
Just a few thoughts. :)
Thanks for this perspective. I think many of the issues discussed go back a long, long time in different forms (e.g. The Archies (I can’t control real people so I’ll create a cartoon band), The Monkees fighting for creative freedom, the San Fran scene of the 60s), but the sheer size of Spotify and its control of the industry is a massive new dimension.
Leaving this year but as you say that doesn’t help necessarily (unless everyone does). Will it take some government action around the world? Consumer demand? We shall see but I live in hope.
Unfortunately the music industry isn’t alone and other creative industries seem destined for obliteration.
Thanks for the article! Yep, looks like we're going to have to get realllly creative here as independent musicians. Not that we haven't been so far, but being between an old system that is still in place and a new one that is to be invented surely ain't easy. Looks like you have a great foundation in your fam base and that's real helpful and heart warming!
I’m having to make more and more of an effort to actively engage with music these days. I don’t listen to algorithm playlists but I do find myself listening to my custom playlists of familiar songs more and more to the detriment of discovering new music. It’s just there on my phone, no effort needed. The days of high streets with music shops next to workplaces you went every day seems to be over, and for me personally is just as an important part of the changed behaviour. Killing time buying random records on a work break was my life for 15 years. I miss it.
Isn't this a Rabbit Hole? After all, trying to be popular at Spotify is a dead end path for independent bands/individuals. As you described, even being quiet successfull in a independent scope won't give you enough numbers anyway.
A lot of smart people are thinking and writing about how this model is unsustainable (I agree), and Spotify is the perfect incarnation of the model, so being part of it won't make much different as it is designed to make independent artists fail while producing content to the platform. As long as a new ecosystem is not created, being in or out won't make much difference.
I’m part owner of an independent rock and roll label. Let me tell you, it’s a grind. We are on every digital platform, and Spotify dominates. We primarily sell vinyl, distributed but mostly DTC. The Spotify numbers unfortunately give promoters a litmus on potential ticket sales, but I think there’s some bits going on there. I’m trying to crack the code still. Thanks for the thorough read!
Very well written. I love Spotify for its UI, how easy it is to use (can’t stand Apple Music UI for some
Reason) and I love how I have so much great music at my fingertips. However,
I dislike it for how little it pays all of us (songwriters and musicians) and especially since it’s conspiring against us..?? but yes.. you ask an intelligent question… what to do about it? I will not quit it. And I have sold millions of albums (in the past as a co-writer, nothing current) so it does affect me, but like you said.. what are we left to do? Thank you for a such a great read.
Already quit.
Incredible and very appropriate and necessary article.
I’m a music promoter and my go to metric is usually checking if an artist is on bandcamp and having a nosey at how many people bought a record or single. It’s a more reliable metric than Spotify data because the people who bought a record are more likely to buy a gig ticket.
Also - I have a job to do in spreading the word about your art to other people in my community. Spotify numbers can’t touch that reality.
Thanks for the great text, as always. Besides the fact that we’ve been devaluing music for the past 20 something years (it all started with those horrible mp3s we all downloaded illegally back then), what I’m mad at the most is that the only metric that is valid now is number of plays/followers. That’s for the industry people but saldy also for the listeners.
Thanks for the well written view of our present situation. It was a great read and inspired greatly appreciated comments.
I hate the way Spotify treats the artists and I’m learning all the time of more sinister goings on.
That said, I do use it for pre festival homework and by doing so have discovered some great new (to me) music. A physical record always wins for me though.
It’s also the way I listen to Queen Kwong now (even though I own everything) as my way of boosting Carrés numbers. Every little helps I suppose?
Someone drunkenly asked me once “given a choice would I rather be deaf or blind?” in a heartbeat I said blind… I simply cannot imagine a life without music and the thought that Spotify, Amazon or whoever could dilute the already shallow pool genuinely terrifies me.
It’s not that I can’t listen to “bad” music, you have to experience the bad to appreciate the good but if engineered, vanilla music blocks the path for the next QK what chance do we have?
Every little thing *does* help. Listeners like you literally keep me alive because of the emotional support and encouragement. There are great musicians and great fans who are doing everything right. It’s the industry and the business model failing artists rn.