Music Streaming: Good or Bad For Artists?
In this age where music is accessible at our fingertips 24/7, we also find itself at a dilemma with streaming services, promoted as the rescue of a suffering industry. Spotify, one of the largest streaming services, pays artists between $0.003 and $0.004 for each and every stream on average. For top-of-the-charts artists, this could mean enormous amounts of money, but for indie or niche artists? Not so much.
From January 2025, Spotify has implemented a new policy in which artists only begin to earn money once they have earned 1,000 streams over the previous 12 months. This implies that an artist will require having between $3,000 and $4,000 in royalties for a million streams. The payment structure has created some concerning trends because quantity is preferred to quality with artists being encouraged to put out as much material as possible so that they can gain more streams.
The streaming age has transformed music listening at the possible expense of artistic value. Albums as cohesive pieces of art are losing out to playlists and singles. Artists are pushed to produce quick, instantly gratifying songs in order to defeat the feared "skip," and that brings the question of our music's depth and creativity. And, as icing on the cake, the environmental impact of our streaming is yet another dimension to this complicated problem.
For aspiring artists wishing to make a career in this sphere, the future is both thrilling and intimidating. Though streaming has made music more accessible, it has also made it an immensely competitive space in which success is by no means certain. The live circuit does provide some scope for artists to increase their base, but the difficulties of survival through streaming on its own are still enormous. Music professionals advise that it could take years for success to come in a music career and patience and persistence are necessary.
I believe we also play a significant role as consumers and listeners in the future of the music industry. If you can, you can buy directly from artists, or go to live performances for your favorite artists. These can work towards creating a more sustainable system for artists. Though today's landscape certainly poses enormous challenges, it also offers unprecedented opportunities to those who are resilient enough to evolve and adapt. The future of music may indeed rely on striking a balance that will allow innovation to take place but also allow those creators at the center of the industry to thrive.
People's attention span and patience decreasing compared to the 2010s has definitely had an impact on music quality. Artists feel the pressure to release music sooner rather than later, so they are not forgotten by fans when the next shiny toy comes around. I find myself listening to popular names like Drake, Kanye, and J Cole, but nothing of theirs within the last 2-3 years.
ReplyDeleteSocial Media has also become big (in positive and negative ways) for artists. Some music is now made just for social platforms in hopes the sound will go viral, and some is really made for enjoyment. Social media has assisted music in ways that other distribution would not be able to compare, allowing for the shares and listens to go endless. I agree that it is important to see artists in person, especially if they have a smaller following.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that consumers play a significant role in in the music industry. Supporting artists directly through purchases, attending live shows, and even actively seeking out and sharing music from smaller, independent acts.
ReplyDelete