But Does It Work?: Why We All Need to Do More to Support Artists in the Age of Music Streaming
Persuasive Speech
Brennan Renz
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Everyone knows how exorbitantly expensive band merchandise can be, but I would argue that the price is actually worth it. While the physical goods will almost definitely not be worth their price in financial value and probably barely break even in emotional value, the ability to support an artist in such an unadulterated manner should not be discounted and is more relevant today than it ever has been before. On account of the rampant under-compensation present in the music industry due to streaming platforms --consumers, that is you, I, and everyone we know-- need to do more to support the artists we truly enjoy. This can be accomplished in several ways, such as exploring alternative streaming platforms that treat artists more fairly, purchasing merchandise and physical copies of music, and promoting the artist’s social media.
The life of a music artist since the advent of music streaming has become significantly more difficult, primarily due to the stability of a record deal becoming rarer today. Journalist Ben Sisario conducted interviews with two artists on the topic of how music streaming has affected them, one of which was Zoe Keating, whose “131,000 plays last year netted just $547.71, or an average of 0.42 cent a play” on Spotify (Sisario). This is the reality of artists who have not developed a following; the payout for their work is not high enough to be sustainable. Keating, who plays “avant cello,” representing a niche genre, had this to say: “In certain types of music, like classical or jazz, we are condemning [artists] to poverty if this is going to be the only way people consume music” (qtd. in Sisario). Her experience moves the issue of under-compensation beyond an individual scale; instead, entire genres are ignored because they do not represent popular music. To compound this, Spotify as a company is known to display an uncaring attitude towards indie artists and labels. Billboard writer Hannah Karp reports that “... Spotify’s offers to acts and managers are ‘especially unfriendly’ to indies, which ‘don't have the monetary power’ to compete at the same level’” (Karp). Spotify is extending deals that create an uneven playing field between indie and established labels, but the small labels can not effectively fight back, as “indie companies have little leverage to prevent such deals” as Karp points out, “because Spotify is ‘such a big part of our business, we're not in a position where we can't work with them.’” Additionally, there is pressure on indie artists to work directly with Spotify for greater visibility and payout, two qualities that make or break a developing artist. Karp states that “Some indie acts say they are tempted to sign direct deals with Spotify not just for the advance fee and the higher potential payouts per stream, but for the prospect of better placement on top playlists.” While streaming services taking a larger role in the lives of artists they host is not necessarily a bad thing, indie artists being pressured to work with an entity that is usually ambivalent to their existence while simultaneously leaving behind what little safety was created by an indie label creates a hostile reality for these artists.
At this point, the question is what consumers can do about the mistreatment of artists, and the easiest answer is to look for alternatives to the major streaming platforms that treat artists better. For instance, one artist interviewed, Warner Meadows uses the website “Tunecore” to release his music, noting that “‘It has no commission so you keep 100 percent of your royalties” (qtd. in “Consider the Artist”). Additionally, Tunecore offers more quality of life options to artists, such as fonts and songwriting credits, meaning artists have a much greater ability to project their exact creative vision than on larger streaming services (“Consider the Artist”). The option to support a service that cares more for artists than large streaming services is available to consumers at basically no cost, but for those who really do not want to move away from the platform of their choice, there are still options. The big players are making some progress towards better supporting small artists. Sam King reports in his article “Spotify Supporting Indie Artists” that “Spotify, everyone’s favorite music app, has rolled out a new beta program that will now allow independent artists to directly upload their music to the program for free,” adding that by doing this the service has “[made] it much easier for lesser-known artists to get their music out into the public” (King). This move has shown that Spotify was not ignoring the past criticism that they are unkind to small artists and that they are willing to change in order to support this style of user, thus consumers who don’t want to transfer their entire libraries or like the comfort of a recognizable service can rest easy. Supporting programs such as this on the large streaming platforms is arguably more important than seeking alternatives, as, realistically, the vast majority of users do not genuinely care enough to put in the effort to move away from the large services. Therefore, supporting changes in the Spotifies and Apple Musics of the industry might be more effective than taking your business elsewhere. King also points out an additional, more hidden benefit of this program: “YouTube has created celebrities via its free uploads and wide distribution. Spotify is now following that same idea, but with music (King).” The parallel to Youtube is extremely important. Youtube as a service has grown to immense popularity mostly because of its “Do It Yourself” nature, in which anyone can make content and upload it to the internet for all to see. Not only that, but Youtube has created a whole host of new celebrities whose fame is based on internet clout, and the presence of these celebrities exclusively on Youtube has made the site even more popular. King says, “If this program continues, it could be a useful tool in helping the music world discover new stars,”, but not only will the music world have new stars, Spotify will share in their success with them.
Aside from making major platform switches or changing one’s listening habits, consumers can do small things to support the artists they enjoy. Even seemingly inconsequential things like following them on social media can make a real difference, as visibility is growing more and more important every day. Additionally, pledging a dollar a month on an artist's Patreon or buying a physical copy of a particularly enjoyable album are small financial decisions that can do a great amount to pad an artist’s income. Attending live shows, something most fans are already inclined to do, is another action that can support an artist both in terms of finance, but also in the emotional boost that seeing a crowd of fans can provide. Any of these things by itself is insignificant, but as more people do them they can provide not only a healthy living outside of streaming money but the all-important sense that their work is being enjoyed and has value (Schofield).
In the current day of music streaming, the lifestyle provided by streaming platforms alone is not sufficient for small, indie artists to live in comfort. However, there are a myriad of ways for fans to support artists such as seeking alternatives to large streaming platforms, supporting programs that help indie artists, as well as the more mundane acts of support, including attending concerts, buying merchandise and physical copies of music, and providing social media visibility by following and supporting the artist. Consider how much music impacts your daily life for the better, providing entertainment during your commute, during class and work, and in the evening cooking dinner, doing homework, and relaxing. Doing these small things to make up all the time you spend enjoying music every day not only makes the lives of the artist more comfortable but gives the artist the feeling that their work is appreciated and of value.
Annotated Bibliography
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"Consider the Artist: How Music Streaming Services Affect Smaller Musicians." University Wire, 26 Apr. 2018. Elibrary, www.explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2031092 706?accountid=338.
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This source addresses the imbalanced distribution of money and the under-compensation of small artists. Additionally, the article proposes ways to remedy the situation and covers some of the upsides of streaming.
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Karp, Hannah. "Streaming Sidesteps the Labels." Billboard, vol. 130, no. 15, 16 Jun. 2018, pp. 13-14. elibrary, www.explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2062905278?accountid =338.
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This source discusses how music streaming is working around labels, allowing artists to operate more effectively without one than in decades previous. This is important because being signed to a record label was a large part of an artist’s path to financial success in the past.
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King, Sam. "Spotify Supporting Indie Artists." University Wire, 24 Sep. 2018. elibrary, www.explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2111211028? accountid=338.
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Spotify is taking steps to assist small artists and reverse its reputation as a service designed to cater to the large artists, as covered in this source. This is important because if the large streaming services become more friendly and supportive towards indie artists, the issues of under-compensation may be remedied.
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Schofield, Jack. "Which is the Best Streaming Service for Supporting Artists?"elibrary, 31 Oct. 2019, www.explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2310812385?accountid=338.
The imbalanced distribution of streaming dollars, and the disproportionate amount of money that popular artists receive in relation to smaller artists, are the core issues that create such inequality in music streaming, and this source addresses it thoroughly.
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Sisario, Ben. "As Music Streaming Grows, Artists' Royalties Slow to a Trickle." New York Times, 29 Jan. 2013. elibrary, www. explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/1282193 965?accountid=338.
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This source contains two in-depth interviews with indie artists on the topic of how music streaming affects them, making it invaluable. This is important because it relates to the experiences of the artist to the reader in a powerful way.