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Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

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Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#81

Post by colinmhayes »

zuminator wrote: post #65
oh_sigh wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a problem associated with how money is apportioned out by the streaming services. As I understand it, they basically throw all the user money into a big pot, and throw all the streams into a big pot, and then apportion it out that way. However, the problem with that is, if I don't listen to Taylor Swift at all, why is a portion of my subscription fee going to her? If, say, $10 per month of the money I…

Money is fungible. If you do $5 worth of streaming OBX's music, they'll get $5. Whether that gets transferred directly from your personal Spotify account into theirs, or initially put into a "big pot" and then the same amount is given to them, what does it matter? Maybe I'm misunderstanding your issue?

Here's the problem. I've got a family spotify subscription. For $15 a month we get 4 accounts. Each of us listen to around 100,000 minutes of music a year. Lets call that 100,000 songs for $180. If every song has the same payout then my family is being subsidized by the people who spend $10 a month to listen to 30,000 minutes of music a year. We're effectively taking other people's subscription money to pay the artists we listen to.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#82

Post by bryans »

mjr00 wrote: post #68
CharlesW wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Labels have deals with companies like Spotify and Apple that indie artists can't make. You don't need a label to distribute your music on major music services. https://www.tunecore.com/

Yep. I'm a verified artist on YouTube, TikTok, Bilibili, Spotify, etc. and all it took was a $15/year Distrokid subscription. That being said, the real challenge for independent artists is getting "blessed by the algorithm," so to speak, where they actually start showing up in Song Radio and Discover Weekly algorithmic playlists. I'm not keen on the details of the Spotify algorithm, but I imagine labels do help with…

> That being said, the real challenge for independent artists is getting "blessed by the algorithm," so to speak, where they actually start showing up in Song Radio and Discover Weekly algorithmic playlists.

This mindset is unfortunately why most musicians fail to gain traction. Relying on an algorithm for success is fallacy, because all of these algorithms are based on input, not random chance. If you're not steadily supplying new listeners through your own direct efforts, then the algorithm isn't going to perceive value and you won't get any benefits from it. Playlisting represents approximately 1% of the independent music industry puzzle.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#83

Post by milesward »

bryans wrote: post #15

The self-congratulatory nature of the article and quotes actually betray a self-reassurance, because in reality, record labels are rapidly becoming irrelevant. They're scrambling to figure out how they fit into the TikTok era, where artists no longer require years of financial incubation to succeed. The music industry is growing because independent musicians are finally figuring out how to navigate it without any nee…

Macklemore did that already.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#84

Post by 52-6F-62 »

bryans wrote: post #15

The self-congratulatory nature of the article and quotes actually betray a self-reassurance, because in reality, record labels are rapidly becoming irrelevant. They're scrambling to figure out how they fit into the TikTok era, where artists no longer require years of financial incubation to succeed. The music industry is growing because independent musicians are finally figuring out how to navigate it without any nee…

Maybe, maybe not. There's a larger variety of business model behind record labels than what people usually mean when they refer to record labels.

They're not all middlemen trying to take a cut out of artists. Those exist, and artists have always railed against the model... and then start their own label.

Labels are mainly a house for all of the logistics behind an artist. No artist wants to spend 90% of their time marketing, merchandizing, booking, etc, etc, etc. They want to create and perform. The label is supposed to enable that. As long as the label does so, then it's worth it. Plus it's a great way to work with your less musical friends. Corporate isn't the only option.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#85

Post by shams93 »

52-6F-62 wrote: post #84
bryans wrote: post #15

The self-congratulatory nature of the article and quotes actually betray a self-reassurance, because in reality, record labels are rapidly becoming irrelevant. They're scrambling to figure out how they fit into the TikTok era, where artists no longer require years of financial incubation to succeed. The music industry is growing because independent musicians are finally figuring out how to navigate it without any nee…

Maybe, maybe not. There's a larger variety of business model behind record labels than what people usually mean when they refer to record labels. They're not all middlemen trying to take a cut out of artists. Those exist, and artists have always railed against the model... and then start their own label. Labels are mainly a house for all of the logistics behind an artist. No artist wants to spend 90% of their time ma…

From my experience going back to 1990 everything is actually MORE controlled by the majors than ever before. Its so easy for google to bury you, all the so called "discovery" platforms are a pay to play scheme. Once pay to play became the norm in southern california the music scene died and that was back in the early 90s even before the internet.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#86

Post by 52-6F-62 »

candiddevmike wrote: post #4

Doesn't say how much the actual artists are seeing of this growth, and how spread out it is. These streaming services make it really hard for smaller artists to stand out, almost everyone uses the services "radio" equivalent which seems to play a very narrow scope of similar artists (mostly more well known). Basically it seems like it's easier than ever to become a musician with global reach/fans but harder than ever…

That's exactly it. Streaming is the modern radio, it's not the entire business.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#87

Post by 52-6F-62 »

drpgq wrote: post #46

"The USA & Canada region grew by 22.0% in 2021, outpacing the global growth rate. The USA market alone grew by 22.6% and Canadian recorded music revenues grew by 12.6%." I wonder why the big difference.

My guess is that performances have just started opening up again in Canada.

That's usually a big part of revenues. From what I've seen by watching recording performances, there have been many places throughout the US to perform live in that time. Varied state-by-state even.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#88

Post by bryans »

colinmhayes wrote: post #79
bryans wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In a world where it's easier and easier to create music, and distribute it, how do you discover music ? Through curators, podcasts etc. And those are managed by - you guessed it - labels. That's simply untrue. The vast majority of curating and playlisting is through bloggers or social media personalities and not through labels, so I'm not sure where you got that from.

> The vast majority of curating and playlisting is through bloggers or social media Not sure about this. Maybe for big music fans, but most casual listeners aren't reading music blogs. They're throwing on spotify playlists which allow artists to pay to get boosted. Guess what, it's the major label artists that can afford those payments. They're seeing that their favorite tiktoker made a video with some new band. Gues…

You have entirely misunderstood the conversation and how playlisting works. We were already literally discussing Spotify playlists. The curators (bloggers and social media personalities) use their platform to solicit submissions, which they filter and then add to their Spotify playlist. Nobody said anything about Spotify listeners reading blogs to find music.

You're also being very conspiratorial by pretending that all playlists and TikTok users are being paid to place music. It does exist, but is not even remotely as ubiquitous as you're pretending.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#89

Post by te_chris »

bryans wrote: post #15

The self-congratulatory nature of the article and quotes actually betray a self-reassurance, because in reality, record labels are rapidly becoming irrelevant. They're scrambling to figure out how they fit into the TikTok era, where artists no longer require years of financial incubation to succeed. The music industry is growing because independent musicians are finally figuring out how to navigate it without any nee…

[citation needed]

You’re not wrong, people can do more themselves now…but the labels can also do these things, while being globally networked. You sound like you know what you’re talking about, but probably worth spending more time knowing your enemy if you really want to destroy them.

Re: Global music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by paid subscription streaming

#90

Post by 52-6F-62 »

gen220 wrote: post #34

Looking for pointers on a music industry question. For an up and coming musician (e.g. Billie Eilish in December 2015, after it was clear she had potential and after she had signed with an A&R in January 2016, but well before she signed with Interscope Records in August 2016), What is the primary motivation to sign to a record label? Assuming they have a solid understanding of the financial and copyright aspects of t…

Labels often have established logistics for merchandizing (including design, QC, fulfillment, etc etc), websites, digital distribution through the higher-end channels, physical distribution deals (that one is even more work to get set up), connections to producers, mixing engineers, mastering houses, studios and so on.

There are a lot of resources in the industry that are not available to the public. You have to build those connections over years, in some cases decades.

When promoters are doing things like trying to pay you in stolen blue jeans (love you, T.O.) it can help to have more people in your corner.

The music industry is segmented, and man some parts are the Wild West. Total fun, but you will struggle to make enough for cab fare at times without support.

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