Spotify states on their website - 'Spotify gives you millions of songs at your fingertips. The artists you love, the latest hits, and new discoveries just for you. Hit play to stream anything you like.' So surely this a good for people who love music? This is why Spotify is great.
Spotify is a smart company. They have figured out what people want and provided this, making money in the process. The issue seems to be that Spotify is paying a pittance to use this music, which is integral to their business. I have seen people post photos on Facebook of bank cheques for less than a dollar for a huge amount of streams. This is why Spotify sucks.
I have heard many people say the record companies are making money from Spotify due to making a little bit from each of the large number of artists they have on Spotify. Maybe this is true, but it does not makes sense to me. One only has to think back to the days when record companies actually made money from music to see that this business model is one of diminishing returns (many record companies are closing down!).
I have also heard many people try to claim Spotify is no different from YouTube and other similar websites. I would argue Spotify is unlike anything else so really can not be compared. YouTube is essentially a community: a social network of sorts. Spotify gives access to music to anyone for free, or for a small subscription and is designed to replace CD's and tradition mediums.
My friend Andrew London raised an interesting point the other day during an interview for Coast Radio. Andrew has noticed a few changes in the buying habits of people at his gigs. In the past people who liked the gig would come racing up in big numbers - in a buying frenzy if you will. He has observed a decline in the number of people who now do this. Maybe this is because people are aware they can get the music afterwards for free so why buy it?!
Here is the key - artists need to control how their music is made available to consumers. If you do not like Spotify then do not use it. You have choices. Streaming is here to say. It is not for me to say this is a bad thing; this is being driven by what the people want. Artists need to learn how to operate in this environment. Use Spotify for what it is.
I truly believe there has never been a better time to be a musician. (Click here to read my first blog to see why I say this). Remember there are still people doing well in current times - try to figure out what are they doing differently. It is most likely they are thinking differently and using the ‘services’ to their advantage.
Keep in touch:
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... and you can download my latest album from: nickgranville.bandcamp.com/album/home
hi Nick its Madeleine Lane nz music (google and you can get to my music) . I agree heartily with every word you have said.
ReplyDeleteAm currently in middle of producing and recording a new album and preparing for aTour of South island in NZ music month(MAY) :I will sell downloads on my website only and at performances I will sell CDs but also CD USB-sticks which the buyer can download etc . Eventually I hope with other interested musicians to form a separate company that publishes song-sheet music ,and again this will be also available in the form of song-sheet USB sticks . I am a live performance singer-songwriter, composer and independent producer and I want a living wage for all the work I do as a musician. I will not act like a serf with the powerful barons who too late realised they could not survive if the serfs walked off the land.
I will never give SPOTIFY ET AL the sweat of MY labour for NOTHING and its is time that all musicians who are making the world a better place with their music realise that they are basically the owners and controllers of production and they can own and control the decision making process in negotiating a decent wage for themselves ,if they realise what power they do hold ..and don't let anyone tell you otherwise..and don't let anyone tell you otherwise (quote from well known NZ poet Simon Williamson who died age 31 on 16/10/99, (from his lyrics for band Between Earth and Sky's song SYSTEM MELTDOWN copyright music- Sharon Smith/copyright lyrics- Simon Williamson.
Good luck with the new CD Madeline. You have the power to control where your music is sold, so if spotify et al doesn't work for you, then don't use them. For the record, I don't particularly like spotify, I think the business model is flawed, majorly. However, there is a lot to be gained from using spotify and that is for each of us as musicians to figure out.
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