It seems like there has to be a way. I am guessing the reason why a company like Bandcamp would not pursue a full on streaming service is because it would cut into artist revenue. Why can't we overthrow Spotify completely?

We can. Just don't use it. It's really not hard.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:12 am We can. Just don't use it. It's really not hard.

+1

The alternative is to get music recommendations from people you know and like, rather than from an algorithm that's mining your data to sell you Doritos, but the kind an empath would buy.

jfv wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:31 am

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:12 am We can. Just don't use it. It's really not hard.

+1

+2

FYI: be somewhat wary of numbers you see online comparing streaming revenues between different services. They can be decent ballpark guides and can tell you a lot about a particular person's experience. They rarely communicate that everything depends just as much on contracts and lawyers as it does on algorithms.

The real issue is people have determined that a month of limitless music of their choosing is worth ten dollars.

$10 a month of endless streaming, the moment that price was thrown down and sustained that is ABOUT what people want to pay now for ALL THE MUSIC and convenience. Casual music listeners will adapt to slight price increase, but that is what music is now worth to most people. Can that change, will regular ass people pay more money for a more artist sustaining service at greater cost to them with not much improvement for them the consumer, I dunno.

I use Spotify. I use it like I used to use the radio, just put it on for a non-active listening experience, maybe run into something new, maybe remind myself of an old album rules, make a mix to listen to on a long road trip. BUT I also buy a ton of stuff on bandcamp, buy records straight from bands and small labels, and try to buy from local record stores. I spend a lot of money on music. I know bands are losing money not being able to tour so I try to buy even more and shirts and whatever I can to support. Is that what most people do? No. I know people that love music, good people, but I can't remember the last time they bought any music (they go to concerts in regular times but thats about it). "Art that has saved their lives" won't be purchased, Spotify is enough, how do those people come around, I dont know.

Platforms come and go, but this trend will probably continue, that of big conglomerates using other people's art/"content" to generate clicks/views/ad revenue, with the artists getting the short end of the stick, if they see any dividends at all.

The old forum had plenty of threads about the difficulty of monetizing "plays" and I don't remember any workable solutions that resulted in more than a sliver of the money going to the artists.

IMHO, the best way to offset this, is to use something like Spotify or YouTube sparingly, to test-drive things, and, if you like what you hear and can afford it, simply buy said music from the artists or labels.

DaveA wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 12:41 pm I use something like YouTube or Bandcamp to test-drive things, and if I like what I hear, simply buy said music from the artists or labels.

Slightly modified your post to reflect what I do.

This streaming stuff is extremely complicated, both for my own brain, and also when we’re trying to set a framework around what art is worth. Does Spotify suck? Probably not if you’re Imagine Dragons. It also doesn’t suck for Boston Typewriter Orchestra, who have really low expectations for revenue coming from recorded media. I’m sure it sucks for other people and that’s legit.

On the consumer side, what’s my responsibility? To try and compensate for the 90% of listeners who moved from buying 8 CDs a year to the $10/month plan? To drop Spotify entirely, which will really show em! Or to do what I have been doing and keep paying 10 bucks a month and buy $8 digital releases on Bandcamp ad-hoc to artists I kind of whimsically feel “deserve the support “?

I don’t know, and of course I don’t expect any clear answers or scolding. It’s sort of a perpetual, gnawingly unresolved thing and I do try and do what I can and not project based on my own feelings and position as a performing/recording artist.