Just uploaded my label’s releases there over the weekend. I was very cautious on it because they are really cagey about where their money comes from, and its roots in NFTs. It’s evolved really quickly into something that could rival Bandcamp. Probably because it’s not built on 20yr old infrastructure or whatever. We’ll see if I regret it.
Matt Levine’s adage keeps going strong: Everything Everywhere is Securities Fraud
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It’s only securities fraud when Spotify aren’t doing it
The question is:
Are you putting 4.6 times the amount of effort (promotion, interaction etc) into Spotify than you are Apple Music?
Do you even do anything for either? I don’t know much there is available, but it would be interesting to see if you could shift stream % based on how much promotion you do on each platform.
Just cut out the middle man and invest in military AI companies directly
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Way ahead of you…
We’re not watching the collapse of music in real time.
Hyperbolic nonsense.
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Lots of good points and ideas in this thread, very passionate people who maybe havent communicated as calmly as they wanted. For me, its the idea of paying indefinitely and ending up with nothing to show for it. I was suckered into Spotify at the outset and even, like a complete idiot, sold all my CDs and bought fully into the “future”. However, going back to CDs and ripping them for playback on my phone and now DAP, or buying flacs on Bandcamp/Qobuz was the best decision i made really. It doesnt take too long to get to a critical mass of “owned” content to be able to ditch Spotify/whatever platform of choice. Plus, some of my purchases have only increased in value, not that i see it as an investment but its nice to see the Discogs figure go up.
If the opinions of a stranger online count for anything of course. But i do recommend the slow shift back the other way if you can manage it. But with cost of living being akin to cosmic horror at this point, as the unknowable and unspeakable machinations of “the economy” continues to haunt us, paying a set sum each month can make sense.
As for ethics, they are for us all to establish what we can live with and where we take a stand. I do believe anti-capitalism (which i am an adherent to) and general left wing politics can easily become a vehicle for policing each other rather than trying to present a positive alternative and can drive people away. Its easy to tell somebody theyre bad, instead of acknowledging that we’re all captive to this system and trying to present positive alternatives.
Just my 2c.
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Quarter of a century ago, if you were an anti-capitalist you showed up on mayday, fucked up some banks and scared the old bill into a Section 60 rave.
Now if you’re an anti-capitalist you cancel your Spotify subscription in a huff and call it a boycott.
They won.
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Can I shock you? I like Spotify.
But also, I collect vinyl off of the back of Spotify.
Im guessing from the terminology you used, youre in the UK. Protesting has become pointless in the era of (a) zero corporate shame and (b) the startling ease with which police can arrest and/or recommend groups be designated terrorists. The only option is play by their rules and not give them money, me and several thousand musicians shouting in the street isnt going to do shit to Daniel Ek.
It’s always been pretty easy for plod to feel your collar during a bit of the old public unrest. I got the shit kicked out of me more than once back in the day and plenty of people I know have convictions relating to what amounted to pretty soft direct action. Just ask Ian Tomlinson about it if you think protesting was somehow safer or easier then…
Back then the old bill had undercover agents in all sorts of left wing/animal rights organisations stirring up shit and abusing women with impunity. Fucking animals mate.
And let’s not forget the good old days in the 1970s when you could be banged up for life for little more than the crime of looking a bit Irish in public.
Yes PA shouldn’t have been proscribed, but if you’re going to target military sites, you have to expect a reaction like that. It’s not like they’re going around proscribing everyone for having an opinion that differs from theirs.
Protesting is as important as it’s ever been. Just look around, motherfuckers are protesting all over the place, just takes a bit of courage to put your neck on the line.
It is absolutely not the only option, you’ve just convinced yourself that it is.
This isn’t really about Daniel Ek though. I’ve brought this up before, but it was nearly a quarter of a century ago that Godspeed you! Black emperor put that graphic on the back of their album showing the links between major labels and munitions. Daniel Ek isn’t new or special in this regard, they’ve just let him into their little VIP area of the military industrial complex.
Honestly, there’s nothing effective or noble about not spending your money on something. It ain’t gonna change Jack shit because it’s all part of their game.
They want you hopeless, they want you to think there’s no game left but theirs, but it’s all bullshit.
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You’re right. I wish I was brave enough to do what needs to be done, I could give a few reasons why I don’t put my money where my mouth is but ultimately people in worse positions or health than I have done it anyway. Thanks for the good debate.
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Careful with that sort of language, this is the internet.
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Bro and now the fucking supposed spokesperson for the “band” isn’t really involved with the band, like what the fuck? Why is this article not even saying how fucking ridiculous this entire thing is? My bald GOAT, however, as ever with the good takes:
It’s just scammers everywhere you look the ones who like this “Ai” (
) shit
https://medium.com/@andrew.frelon/i-am-andrew-frelon-the-guy-running-the-fake-velvet-sundown-twitter-fcab2b7e471b
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Sad but true. Bullshit.
Also doesn’t Spotify insta ban and remove boted songs? How did this one menage to pass?
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A trois! That’s the million stream question!
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not just allowed to stay on the platform but apparently received the Verified Artist badge from Spotify itself to begin with? assuming they don’t just hand those out like candy
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No, I don’t do anything, my label does. They probably don’t do anything now since my last release is almost a decade old. But I still have songs on some official spotify playlists and lots of user playlists. The fact is just that not as many people use Apple Music as spotify. I don’t know how that can be denied. I don’t even believe the subscriber stats that say Spotify only has 30% of the market share when there’s such a massive disparity in the streaming numbers that BMI is reporting.