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Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

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Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#831

Post by satyrnein »

KozmoNau7 wrote: post #824
satyrnein wrote: post #694

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How little they make, compared to what? Streaming has basically saved the music industry, finally getting revenues to go up after about 15 years of decline. Spotify pays out 70% of its revenue to labels and artists. I wonder what percentage would satisfy people.

The industry revenues are up, and all of that is going to the big labels and a token handful of artists at the very top of the celebrity pile. The vast majority of artists are still getting screwed over by the labels. They're getting a pittance, if anything. If at all possible, always buy directly from the artists or through sites like Bandcamp that actually pay out well.

I'm not sure how Spotify is to blame for bad label deals, which are nothing new. Artists also have lots of ways to get onto Spotify and other services without a label if they wish.

Bandcamp takes only a 15% cut, which is better than Spotify's 30%, but the way people talk about it you would think there's a 10x difference or something.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#832

Post by mortivore »

puranjay wrote: post #449
mortivore wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People still listen to Metallica's music, and their music still ends up in movies. I don't really think all new music is bad, just most of it. The same could be said for back in the day though. Metallica is a bad example for you to use cause they are still widespread because they are really good. There are other bands you haven't heard of from the 70s and 80s.

Unless you're really, really into music, your taste in music essentially stops developing by the time you hit your 30s. If you're listening to Metallica today, it's because you were listening to Metallica when you were 15 (I was, and I still do). This "all new music is dross" argument is repeated every generation as new music out-ages the outgoing generation.

Everything you said is either false or inapplicable.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#833

Post by drdeca »

panchicore3 wrote: post #769
drdeca wrote: post #726

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know what mumble rap is, so I’m not commenting on that in particular. But, something being selected for doesn’t imply that it isn’t a bad thing. Even if we assume that “how much the typical person likes it” or “how many people like to listen to it” or something along those lines is a good measure of goodness, those are not the only things involved in the selection pressure. Things like cost to produce, discov…

re: mumble rap ~ have you heard trap?

I think once or twice, but I don’t remember what it is really.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#834

Post by adamsea »

Kalium wrote: post #574
adamsea wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a pretty narrow take IMHO. We all have the freedom to do whatever; the issue is the consequences. The question I think is more about if as a society we think it’s important for musicians to be able to make a decent living at their work and if so do we want to use our collective tools of law or government (or if someone gets lucky and innovates a better business model) to help that happen? And if Spotify’s cur…

> it’s important for musicians to be able to make a decent living at their work I think this depends on a great many factors. Do you mean possible for some musicians, everyone who wants to do music in some capacity, or somewhere in between? How do you define a decent living? I'm reminded of the "No farms, no food" bumper-stickers I would sometimes see. While obviously true as written, it's subtlety different in pract…

For sure. I agree with you. And I'd say maybe music education - kids learning how to play an instrument, etc - is one area of focus. However I don't think it's supporting the arts that's sticking point when it comes to America managing it's limited resources ; )

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#835

Post by Larrikin »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #828
grasshopperpurp wrote: post #811

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Same beats. Same cadence. Same flow. Voices indistinguishableffrom each other. This is how people used to talk about Hip Hop in the 90s. People familiar with Trap can easily distinguish between the different rappers and producers - just like people familiar with 90's Hip Hop could distinguish between Nas and Ghostface or DJ Premier and Pete Rock. And, that's only Trap. There are still popular MC's and producers who…

>This is how people used to talk about Hip Hop in the 90s This isn't true unless you're talking the bling Era of the late 90s. Also, past criticisms existing doesn't invalidate new ones even if there's similarities in the complaint. So that's a side step. Tribe, wu, west coast gfunk rappers, mobb deep, fu schnickens, onyx, bone thugs, cypress, busta, we're all wildly different. Even at the height of g-funk, I could h…

>Tribe, wu, west coast gfunk rappers, mobb deep, fu schnickens, onyx, bone thugs, cypress, busta, we're all wildly different.

I would argue that they all sound the same when compared to any southern rappers that came after them. You keep referring to the bling and crunk era like they are sneers but I would argue that if New Yorkers had gotten their way and got to be the gate keepers of hip hop and you were only allowed to rap in a style like Wu Tang and rappers like Outkast, The Hot Boys, and just the dozens of ATL rappers were not allowed on the air ways that the art form would have gone the way of disco and died. Sure its cool when a song has a multilevel meaning and deep metaphors spread through out the song, but its not a necessity to make a good hip hop song.

My hot take is that if you can only appreciate NY State of Mind, I Got a Story To Tell, 1st of The Month, but can't appreciate Back That Azz Up, Crank Dat, and XO TOUR Llif3 then you don't actually appreciate hip-hop. Just a very narrow subset of it.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#836

Post by KozmoNau7 »

satyrnein wrote: post #831
KozmoNau7 wrote: post #824

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The industry revenues are up, and all of that is going to the big labels and a token handful of artists at the very top of the celebrity pile. The vast majority of artists are still getting screwed over by the labels. They're getting a pittance, if anything. If at all possible, always buy directly from the artists or through sites like Bandcamp that actually pay out well.

I'm not sure how Spotify is to blame for bad label deals, which are nothing new. Artists also have lots of ways to get onto Spotify and other services without a label if they wish. Bandcamp takes only a 15% cut, which is better than Spotify's 30%, but the way people talk about it you would think there's a 10x difference or something.

The problem with Spotify is that they pool all payments, and then portion it out based on how big of a part of the total amount of plays per month that artist gets.

That means basically all of my $10 subscription would go to huge popular artists, instead of to the artists I actually listen to.

By buying on Bandcamp, I make sure my money goes to the artists I actually listen to.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#837

Post by redwall_hp »

ClikeX wrote: post #778
orthoxerox wrote: post #732

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The model breaks down for people who write purely electronic music and are thus composers, not performers.

Or just bedroom musicians.

The simple truth is that success in any creative field is based more on chance and mass appeal than any creative merit. For every JK Rowling there are hundreds of published novelists who barely make a living, and thousands who a publisher wouldn't even take a chance on.

If you're in it for the passion, you'll do it whether you make money or not. Big successes are an anomaly, regardless of which mechanism the industry chooses to split up the loot. (Always in the favor of the publisher/label/whatever.)

If we want to encourage creativity, UBI is a better deal than worrying overmuch about trying to shoehorn creativity into revenue models. Because then at least the extra money, however much, would be extra on top instead of wholly inadequate.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#838

Post by idlewords »

tchaffee wrote: post #663
idlewords wrote: post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Beatles at the height of their fame put out two albums a year, while making a bunch of movies on top of it. That pace is inconceivable in 2020, but I've never understood why.

It's inconceivable because the Beatles were hugely talented with two and a half very prolific song writers all playing off each other, they had enough money to stop touring and to live in the music studio, and they hired outside talent considered the "fifth Beatle". Not to mention that experiment along with the pace did not last.

They weren't unusual in how often they put out albums, it was the music industry norm at the time, and had been for years.

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#839

Post by loudtieblahblah »

Larrikin wrote: post #835
loudtieblahblah wrote: post #828

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This is how people used to talk about Hip Hop in the 90s This isn't true unless you're talking the bling Era of the late 90s. Also, past criticisms existing doesn't invalidate new ones even if there's similarities in the complaint. So that's a side step. Tribe, wu, west coast gfunk rappers, mobb deep, fu schnickens, onyx, bone thugs, cypress, busta, we're all wildly different. Even at the height of g-funk, I could h…

>Tribe, wu, west coast gfunk rappers, mobb deep, fu schnickens, onyx, bone thugs, cypress, busta, we're all wildly different. I would argue that they all sound the same when compared to any southern rappers that came after them. You keep referring to the bling and crunk era like they are sneers but I would argue that if New Yorkers had gotten their way and got to be the gate keepers of hip hop and you were only allow…

You said wu and outkast are somehow the same and then defended juvenile?

And then gatekept who's "really appreciates hip hop?"

Freaking lol

Re: Spotify CEO: musicians can no longer release music only “once every 3-4 years”

#840

Post by CarbyAu »

danparsonson wrote: post #739
sukilot wrote: post #636

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I prefer art not selected by the government. "Finishing" a game is a weird concept. I don't know anyone who finished chess. Small games aren't necessarily cheaper than big ones; it depends on popularity to sustain a low unit price.

Chess doesn't have a narrative arc - unless I've been playing it wrong

And the King, having vanquished his foe at great cost, surveyed the empty field and muttered: "It matters not, for in the end the claw chooses who will go and who will stay".
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