Spotify

[Kemp]

What are your thoughts?

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/rems-mike-mills-to-spotify-ceo-go-fuck-yourself-more-artist-reactions/?trackback=fbshare_mobile&fbclid=IwAR1javxCrYoP0O-TdWj38ZOSuf_Nf8TARZFQtFLf6RcEsGiteLCLg4hYkAI

[duende]

I always thought music streaming was great for test-driving, or getting a pre-release listen to, new releases, or releases that are new to you. THEN you purchase the music and support the artists. I stream digital music I've purchased - usually with Amazon's player - and I listen to SXM when I'm driving (about 1 hour/week these days). If the Spotify platform urged you in some way to take the next step and purchase the music I'd feel better using it. It's the $0.00036 per play thing that is just laughable when it comes to sustainability and support for the artists. And then you have to consider the original sin of rock'n'roll - that the writers of the tune get the money, the bandmembers who create the sound and band identity often aren't in the revenue stream after the initial recording session. Artist bowing-out of Spotify could still knock down the sound resolution of new material and allow folks to listen to it for a few days on Soundcloud, or such. And then the real bane of my you-kids-get-off-my-lawn mentality these days... who listens to one song from an artist? Why even take the time to compile an album anymore? Yep, I'm old.

[Gards]

I have never used Spotify or their like and hopefully i will never have to.
For many years I have read about and heard stories via respectable radio programmes relating to how much these firms rort the artists.
I have also talked with music industry bigwigs, sucessful performers, songwriters and a very large percentage hate Spotify with a passion.

In recent times the only one of these firms that I have heard good reports about on a regular basis is BandCamp, although i have no idea who they are or what they do

[jjazznj]

I have hardly ever used it. Just not the way I listen to music. For this jackass CEO to tell artists to crank out more music is total stupidity. He just looks at music as product. I agree that most pop music is just that but for any true artist it is not the case. I applauded Prince when he was alive for not wanting his music on there. Of course once he died the vultures went against his wishes and put his music back on there.

[BostonDavid]

Another old guy here, still buying CDs, and I know almost nothing about Spotify. But it seems the artists hate it and believe they’re getting ripped off, which is all I need to hear to stay away from it.

OTOH: it sure looks like live music will be on hiatus for a while, especially in the U.S., so writing music-writing might get a boost just because performing and touring are out. How the musicians can make decent money from their recorded music is another matter. I wish I had an answer.

A bit off-topic but it occurred to me that, if Europe can really get COVID under control, maybe they can safely resume live music in the near future. Maybe. If that happens, it would give a lot of U.S. performers a place to play in the meantime. Assuming Americans are allowed in to Europe, that is.

[Nancy10016]

Another old guy here, still buying CDs, and I know almost nothing about Spotify. But it seems the artists hate it and believe they’re getting ripped off, which is all I need to hear to stay away from it.

OTOH: it sure looks like live music will be on hiatus for a while, especially in the U.S., so writing music-writing might get a boost just because performing and touring are out. How the musicians can make decent money from their recorded music is another matter. I wish I had an answer.

A bit off-topic but it occurred to me that, if Europe can really get COVID under control, maybe they can safely resume live music in the near future. Maybe. If that happens, it would give a lot of U.S. performers a place to play in the meantime. Assuming Americans are allowed in to Europe, that is.

Also not a Spotify or other user mostly because of them screwing the musicians, and the Europe idea is good, but sadly Europe is closed to Americans for now, and probably will be for a while.
Sadly for those of us in NY, the Governor has banned outdoor concerts and 'drive-in' ones due to a clusterfuck at a Chainsmokers outdoor drive-in in Southampton last month...

[Kemp]

Like many of you, I was the guy with the most records (or eight tracks or cassettes) and CDs. I combed record stores then and now. I managed a record store in the mid seventies. I enjoyed turning folks on to good music that they had never heard like Ry Cooder, NRBQ, Nils Lofgren, The Bears etc. People would often bring me a blank cassette tape or compact disc and ask me to record an album for them. I would tell them no and explain about royalties and how recording artists made their livings at least in part from the royalties and their sale of units. Some understood. Some got huffy about it ("I brought you a blank cassette!"). Now, I do use Spotify some in the same way I once used cassettes for making mix tapes. Ninety per cent of what I have on those playlists are songs from albums that I have purchased in previous hardcopy formats often more than once so I don't feel too bad about that. Spotify makes suggestions and I have downloaded some of those. If I really like the music I will buy the album. I don't mind the format of Spotify, but I hate that the time dishonored practice of ripping off musicians and songwriters is not only continuing but flourishing in these increasingly strange times. What can the artists do? Where is Alan Klein when you need him? Well, maybe not him.

[BostonDavid]

Like many of you, I was the guy with the most records (or eight tracks or cassettes) and CDs. I combed record stores then and now. I managed a record store in the mid seventies. I enjoyed turning folks on to good music that they had never heard like Ry Cooder, NRBQ, Nils Lofgren, The Bears etc. People would often bring me a blank cassette tape or compact disc and ask me to record an album for them. I would tell them no and explain about royalties and how recording artists made their livings at least in part from the royalties and their sale of units. Some understood. Some got huffy about it ("I brought you a blank cassette!"). Now, I do use Spotify some in the same way I once used cassettes for making mix tapes. Ninety per cent of what I have on those playlists are songs from albums that I have purchased in previous hardcopy formats often more than once so I don't feel too bad about that. Spotify makes suggestions and I have downloaded some of those. If I really like the music I will buy the album. I don't mind the format of Spotify, but I hate that the time dishonored practice of ripping off musicians and songwriters is not only continuing but flourishing in these increasingly strange times. What can the artists do? Where is Alan Klein when you need him? Well, maybe not him.

I’m in the same boat as far as purchasing some albums multiple times in different formats over the years: from albums to 8-tracks to cassettes to CDs. The Rolling Stones don’t need anymore of my money. A lot different for the non-superstar bands.

”What can the artists do?” I don’t know but I think about this a lot. One thought I had reading your comment was that maybe the artists should consider banding together (ha!) and forming cooperatives or collectives or whatever. That might give them enough clout to collect what they’re due. Maybe even gain some control over venues and distribution. But who is going to organize it?

[duende]

”What can the artists do?” I don’t know but I think about this a lot. One thought I had reading your comment was that maybe the artists should consider banding together (ha!) and forming cooperatives or collectives or whatever. That might give them enough clout to collect what they’re due. Maybe even gain some control over venues and distribution. But who is going to organize it?

I should’ve started out by saying that I typically carry my old iPod, with 10K+ songs on it, if I’m commuting (remember commuting?), but - like cable TV - sometimes there are hundreds of channels and nothing that you’re interested in at that moment. That strikes me as the right time for a rando/focused streaming session. It’s how I curated a bit of a Washed Out summer space-y pool time collection, with stuff like Khruangbin, which I streamed, then subsequently purchased.

The artist collective idea is a very good one, but I fear that none will ultimately survive. I’m thinking about Bloodshot Records, and their troubles, right about now. I think a third to a half of my newest albums purchased have been from their roster. Artist development, support, parties at SXSW, they seemed to have it very much together. But it wasn’t a single executive scenario, and the divergence of the two main partners could easily bankrupt the company and leave the artists in a worse situation. Ugh.

[chopitulas]

No use for Spotify either as I am just another old dude who still likes CDs. I recently had to replace my CD player in my car as that is where I listen as much as here at home. I have enough CDs to last me the rest of my lifetime, many of which are live show downloads from sites like dimeadozen. I will admit, it is the collecting that is a big part of it, the acquisition of something interesting you aren't gonna find on Spotify but can get through the Net. I don't care about "the convenience," my relationship to music still includes a physical component.

As an aside, I just read producer Ted Templeman's book. It takes you back to the days of Warner Brothers Records in the 70's when the label would support artists and allow them to grow. They signed them because they saw something there and bands weren't expected to hit the top of the charts immediately. That went away in the 80's but those were the days...

[BostonDavid]

No use for Spotify either as I am just another old dude who still likes CDs. I recently had to replace my CD player in my car as that is where I listen as much as here at home. I have enough CDs to last me the rest of my lifetime, many of which are live show downloads from sites like dimeadozen. I will admit, it is the collecting that is a big part of it, the acquisition of something interesting you aren't gonna find on Spotify but can get through the Net. I don't care about "the convenience," my relationship to music still includes a physical component.

As an aside, I just read producer Ted Templeman's book. It takes you back to the days of Warner Brothers Records in the 70's when the label would support artists and allow them to grow. They signed them because they saw something there and bands weren't expected to hit the top of the charts immediately. That went away in the 80's but those were the days...

Maybe overly reductionist but it seems the music business has been hollowed out like most everything else in America. Grab the money now and who cares after that.

I’m the same about the “physical component” of my music. I went through a phase where I thought I’d just put everything on my computer dump the CDs that were really beginning to pile up and I have limited space. I was also being finicky then so I only downloaded certain songs from the CDs onto my computer. Naturally, as soon as I got rid of a large batch of CDs, I decided I needed to hear songs I hadn’t transferred. Oops. Luckily, a friend told me that the public library lends out CDs and I was able to replenish some. Others, I had to purchase yet again. Lesson learned. So now I put the CDs in a binder (with the cover art), and I trash the jewel cases to save room.

[HankAndLeeStamper]

I have a teenage son who is way into hip hop and for him Spotify is a way of life. So we have it. I use it for two purposes. Number 1, I mostly listen to CDs in my car, so if i've already bought a CD, but am home in the mancave, i will often listen on Spotify because, while it isn't much, that way the artist gets paid twice (I buy it, then I stream it). Number 2, since I rarely listen to radio beyond OZ, I will sometimes make a decision on a non-Nola artist by listening on Spotify, if it's as good as I've been led to believe, I then buy it and repeat the process above. Related to that, a third reason i guess, is that right now, for example, the new Fantastic Negrito stuff has some singles on Spotify but the full CD comes out later this month, so I've been doing a little pre-buy listening there. That guy ---- I've never said this before about anyone ---- reminds me so much of Prince, though less fully rounded as an artist at this point in life. One of my favorite "new" artists of the 21st century.

[cp_deb]

Have had a Spotify subscription for years and love it. The release radar leads me to new music I would never know about or listen to otherwise. I like being able to find and save new tracks and artists ... and thanks for the Negrito tip. Love him!

I also listen to WWOZ, KZAP, KVMR and the Bluegrass Planet on various streaming radio services. So much music, so little time.

[chopitulas]

That is one thing I have found odd about the vinyl resurgence. Getting rid of CDs initially seemed to be a storage space issue. Vinyl resurfaced after that, as I recall the time frame. If I am not mistaken, storing vinyl takes up a lot more room than CDs...

[The Krewe of Chew]

I use Spotify when a festival I will be attending puts out a playlist of the artists that will be appearing. I don't know how I would have handled Americanafest without it; there are too many artists I'm not familiar with playing. it's a great way to see whether I want to check out a band live. But if I really like them, I'm going to buy their CD at the show. I'll also listen to some of a new CD to decide whether to purchase.

And that Spotify guy seems like a greedy jerk.