Spotify doesn't make profit from music streaming, despite having over 400M monthly active users, because it pays two-thirds of all its revenue to the rights holders.
Spotify doesn't make profit from music streaming, despite having over 400M monthly active users, because it pays two-thirds of all its revenue to the rights holders.
Despite being the king of music streaming, Spotify is struggling financially, but why?
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Honestly, Spotify is only half bad compared to the real scumbags of this industry, and that's the "rights holders".
It's not the artists who created the music I'm talking about. It's the record companies taking the largest piece for themselves.
They are the ones earning on other people's talent and success.
But...but...muh "discovery"
I'll die on that hill. 90% of the artists I listen to, I found through spotify's algorithms.
Ok, but why not find a human that curates the kind of music you like? They are called DJs.
I don’t understand why we need to get rid of human DJs that seems like the last job we need to replace.
edit why do y’all think I am talking about radio DJs? You…. know there are wayyyyyyy more DJs out there than just radio DJs right?…..right?
….like y’all know mixes exist right? Like mixcloud or whatever?
Sometimes my car decides to play some radio before connecting to my phone. It’s an unfortunate side-effect of owning a not-too-nice car.
Radio DJs are little more than advertising agents nowadays. Or worse, wannabe entertainers.
Yeah but sometimes they do a 10 minute takeover and play a song I like which all the pop people call in saying it's shit.
Compare the top 40 to your Discover Weekly and the answer is obvious.
I hate the radio, I’m not talking about radio DJs unless it is the very occasional weird college radio station that is fun just for the curveballs.
I’m talking about all the other DJs, real life human beings who for fun spend hours hunting down the kind of music you listen to and arrange it into mixes. Like a recommendation algorithm but a human! There are plenty of them, you might not know of one that exists for your specific niche, but rest assured they definitely exist.
They play sets for bars and stuff with music they have collected in whatever genre they are into, it is a whole thing.
I don’t know why I am explaining the concept of a DJ.
You're explaining because people know DJ to mean radio or in person, and neither are practical in context, so everyone is confused on how it’s relevant. People who use streaming service algorithms probably aren’t looking to go to a bar or event every time they want a recommendation.
Not to mention that bars and stuff with music usually cater towards upbeat music. If you’re sure these niche DJs exist, why not name some, or at least provide vague instructions on locating one? It would be a lot more useful to provide actionable advice to people looking for recommendations based on their taste
I am not talking about having to go anywhere to listen to DJs.
Ok, Mixcloud
I use Spotify to avoid other people. You go to clubs and listen to what people spin? Too crowded. I'm happy with an algo that knows my tastes and find that shit for me.
facepalm no, DJs often put mixes up for you to listen to. Again mixcloud is a good example.
There's a classical station in Dallas that calls their programming music with context. And they're right! When there's a good DJ in the booth you will end up learning something about the music being played.
Yeah, let me go ask my DJ friends I totally know and are also a Californian who enjoys South African Deep House and Prog House, or post rock, but not post metal.
Do you know how many people exist that can do that for me? Exactly zero. It’s perfect for computers and algorithms. Humans are amazing at creating music and knowing where it fits, but they aren’t the end all be all of knowing where more like it exists. Especially when it’s not like I can reach out to my favorite artists of South African Deep House (like Kyle Watson) and ask him personally for recommendations. He’s busy with a job.
Mixes also don’t often times give you the full song for you to understand whether you truly like it, and they often have obscure remixes that aren’t released due to creator copyright or other rules. You’re creating a problem to complain about.
Yeah, let me go ask my DJ friends I totally know and are also a Californian who enjoys South African Deep House and Prog House, or post rock, but not post metal.
Do you know how many people exist that can do that for me? Exactly zero.
Hmm, let’s see if I google “South African Deep House DJ Mix”
First result: https://m.soundcloud.com/deephouse_sa
This is what drives me up a wall, people WANT to believe that only robots can help them with their super specific artistic tastes because they are too niche even if it means ignoring tons of artists and curators out there who’s passion it is to collect and share that specific type of music.
We have been sold AI curation as a way of placing a corporation between you and the communities of listeners and curators who share and find the types of music you like so art can further be corporatized and divorced from the artists who actually create the art. A corporation isn’t going to promote humans sharing music they have collected with humans because if that human gets popular they could just go somewhere else with their fans, i.e. there is a community and corporations see that as a threat compared to an algorithm they own and can manipulate any way they want.
I am not saying never use algorithmic recommendation, but it is depressing how the vast majority of people seem to have utterly abandoned the idea of being interested in communities of humans collecting music and sharing it in artistically arranged mixes.
Well, their CEO Daniel Ek's investment company Prima Materia "invested €100 million ($114 million USD) in Helsing, an artificial intelligence company based out of Europe that assists in military technological ventures. "
So I'm happy to take my *streaming business elsewhere.
After being the earliest adopter of free and paid that I know personally (and I work in tech), Joe Rogan was the nail in the coffin for me. I was already paying for YouTube premium (download for subway, and close screen while playing) and saw music was included so the decision was simple.
This was also exactly why I moved away from Spotify.
What does a record company even do? Why do they have rights?
In the day and age of streaming sercices like Spotify, record labels/companies like Sony Music etc should not exist IMO.
Back when people purchased their music from brick and mortar stores on vinyls, cassettes, and CDs, they had a place to facilitate a relationship with distributors etc to get your music on the shelves, handle marketing and a bunch of other stuff. Nowadays, this all can be done digitally, independently.
Edit: clarify record label
Basically they fund artists to record and then handle things like promotion.
Yo. I can be a record label. Come hang out in my apartment while I pay the bills and BAM! I get all the royalties!
Sounds like stealing with extra steps. Actually it sounds like just being rewarded for having money to begin with.
Actually it sounds like just being rewarded for having money to begin with.
That's most of the economy.
If I can personally promote a subreddit to 8.5 million subscribers with no talent of my own, anyone who can make decent music can handle their own shit.
Yes, promoting a subreddit and promoting yourself as an artist are the same thing.
I didn't even have to sing.