It's #Fedivision Friday, and to help the participating musicians along I've dedicated this week's #OPM write-ups to covering some of the entries. I couldn't do all 72 (!) but I did do all 16 of my mutuals' entries! Read them here:
And revel in the wild variety of music of the Fediverse. From doomy cyberpunk techno to giallo-inspired twee psychedelia, this is a deep class, with lots of intriguing music to discover. Dive in, and enjoy!
Brilliant idea of doing a review of mutuals! I wish I had thought of that. Alas, I have already voted, but I'm going to go read your write-ups, because you are a talented writer and it's always good to see how others approach and process the same music.
No doubt, they the real MVPs! I was initially going to write a small blurb about each entry in a separate toot, managed to do ONE, and then ran out of spoons. :welp:
Really funny ads showing up here....for absolute garbage tv "hit" shows. I don't know whether they are even for real. But MAN, so horrible...."stars" and "stories" that make your skin crawl lol. Anyone else seeing these?
Amused at how Altman helped himself to a woman who denied him multiple times, because he was fond of her*, and despite the fact that she was literally the only person in recent history to sue Disney and win - and that no one else in his circle tried to dissuade him (or had enough pull or made enough effort to be successful).
Says a lot about the people at the helm of the "AI revolution".
FYI no streaming service pays more than US $0.01 per stream. And that’s at the very top end, with a premium paying customer in a premium market.
I found this article explaining how streams are calculated helpful: https://soundcharts.com/blog/music-streaming-rates-payouts
Lots of variables like country, service tier, content pool & user engagement factor in, making the "average" per stream unpredictable.
Tidal & Qobuz pay more per stream b/c they have less streams overall--making every stream more valuable. 1/
I'm not trying to make excuses for them, just trying to explain why Spotify has such a stranglehold on the streaming market.
Even for artists, despite the low amount we receive per stream, Spotify makes it easy to interact with fans and customize profiles and even each song with storylines (if you're on a label) and visuals like 10-second videos (canvases) that help engage and retain listeners. Compared to other platforms, it really excels in helping artists communicate what they're about.
Most Millennials and GenZ use streaming to discover and share new music. If you primarily buy CDs, vinyl, or digital downloads, that's great! More power to you.
But very few of the younger generations are listening to the radio (which is still hard for indies to get on--even independent and college stations), they go to their streaming service of choice to find new music. And a lot of people are discovering music on Tik Tok or Instagram. The majority of younger people, in fact.
And if someone has ever recommended a song to you and you went to YouTube to check it out, that is also streaming. And yes, YouTube has its own streaming service and can also generate revenue from and for artists--without the artist having to maintain a dedicated channel or become a YouTuber--although that is also another way indie artists often try to get people to listen to their music.
I listen to a lot of music, and I buy a lot of music, although I mostly buy on Bandcamp currently. Most of the major label artists will not be found on Bandcamp, however, so as a streaming service the general population is not interested, b/c they want to listen to Taylor Swift and Drake and not exclusively indie music.
Most of the streaming services that can stay solvent AND pay artists a fair amount (debatable what that is) are ones that are attached to a larger company like Amazon and Apple that don't have to rely on music as a stand alone business model.
The truth is, music is just not valued enough (has it EVER been?) for most people to be willing to pay much for it. Unless you're the kind of artist that inspires a kind of cult of personality, in which case fans will buy everything you throw at them.
And suggesting indie artists must play live to build a following is just not going to work for every type of artist.
-playing live does not work easily for solo musicians in certain genres, without recruiting/hiring other musicians
-some artists live in remote areas with no good local live options
-venues want artists to already HAVE an audience they bring with them. It's the ol' "you need 5 years of experience for this entry level job" conundrum
Suggesting new/indie artists provide physical product (CDs, vinyl, merch) rather than just digital output is also frustrating. First, the cost of manufacturing is front-loaded onto the artist, with no guarantee that those items will all sale, especially when you don't have enough fans to justify the expense. And that's on top of the expense (education, instruments, equipment, studio time) recording the music.
I have boxes of CDs from my old band that no one wants taking up storage space.
Nowadays, it seems like the only way to build a following is to have your music available on line, get some sort of success on Tik Tok or Instagram (going viral) and also finding a supportive community where musicians are valued. Like the Fediverse!
I am so grateful for all of y'all that have retooted my music, or bought my tracks on Bandcamp, or even just let me know you were streaming my music and liked it.
It really does help in the face of so many hurdles and indifference elsewhere. 🥰
There are 72 opportunities for you to discover new music and find your new favorite artist! And this year, you can vote for 3 songs instead of just one.
You have until Sunday to listen to the tracks and vote. Text the 4-digit code representing each entrant you want to vote for to @vote