Spotify has been a revelation for me in the way in which it has enabled me to have such easy access to so much music. However, I feel a sense of guilt in knowing how little artists receive from streaming services. Presuming other people feel the same way, how do you assuage this guilt? Download the album even though you don’t need it? Or something else…?

Sorry, meant for chat forum. Not sure if I can move it…

If you like it and want to make you / the artist feel better then buy the album once you’ve listened to it

But otherwise don’t worry about it – it’s a service to you and millions others

It’s great for opening your ears – what you do after that is up to you

I do use spotify – to listen to new music, but I always buy the music I like on vinyl or cd. To be honest I find the sheer volume of music on spotify overwhelming. I find I value music more when I’ve paid for it and own a physical object

The fact that I can’t listen to streaming or downloads on my hi fi helps with this

I think artists make the most money from physical purchases (cd/ vinyl), then downloads, then streaming

So if you want to support artists buy a cd or go to a gig

I rarely buy music files, up until leaving the UK I was still buying CD’s. Since moving I’ve been on spotify, I like the fact that I listen to a lot of different stuff and I am aware that the artists don’t get as much but the chances of me buying the album is low anyway so they get more than they would of.
Licensing needs to catch up with the times, and get agreed by all involved.

Guilt….are you being serious ? Musicians don’t have to agree to put their music on Spotify. The royalties system that pays musicians needed updating IMO. If you’re old enough to remember the transition from Vinyl to CD’s & the associated massive hike in prices; Buying a whole album to get a couple of good tracks ? I always got the feeling I was being seen off. I’m through buying music as long as I’ve got Spotify. It’s been a revelation for me & the diversity of music I’ve been able to listen to…..all guilt free.

One thing’s for sure, things change & listening to music on Spotify is great. I won’t be “buying” ny more music in the future. “Owning” music to me is an outdated concept. I only want to listen to it.

Why buy the cow when I can milk it for nothing…or very little ?

D.

So you think it’s fair that for about 1000 listens on spotify my band earns the grand total of £6, or around about £0.006 per play? (And we pay about 9% of that to a middleman)
Of course it’s not our only source of sales, but it’s a pretty low amount of money for all the effort we it into writing, practising, and recording something.
If you like someone’s music enough to listen to it more than a few times, buy it.
This is of course from a small/independent band and label perspective.

So you think it’s fair that for about 1000 listens on spotify my band earns the grand total of £6, or around about £0.006 per play?

Yes.

How many of those 100 people (assuming 10 tracks to ana album) would actualy have given you £6 for it? IIRC Radio 1 pays about £400 per song at breakfast for 7million listeners, or about 0.00005p.

Stop whining, get a proper job if you want more money.

So you think it’s fair that for about 1000 listens on spotify my band earns the grand total of £6, or around about £0.006 per play? (And we pay about 9% of that to a middleman)

Yup.

Most bands make most of their money from gigs these days – don’t see what’s wrong with that personally.

I’ve got loads of CDs that I bought second-hand – call it £5 for a second-hand CD, and I’m sure I’ve listened to lots of them more than 100 times, so I’ve paid less than £0.005 per play.

People do things for different reasons but for me being in a band & running a record label was done for love not money.

Digital music has leveled the playing field. Bands no longer need record labels & can reach millions of people really easily which wasn’t an option when I first started.

If you want to be in the music business then be prepared for it to fail like any business… This comes from someone who has over a grands worth of unsold stock in the back room.

Spotify listening has encouraged me to go and see bands I would have missed otherwise.

Saw a download service advertised on TV yesterday that offers money back on tracks if you don’t like them! Can’t remember the name of it though…

thisisnotaspoon – Member
IIRC Radio 1 pays about £400 per song at breakfast for 7 million listeners, or about 0.00005p.

Radio 1’s Breakfast show peak audience is approx 1.5 million.

Radio is still the best form of promotion & leads to the most sales.

thepodge – Member
People do things for different reasons but for me being in a band & running a record label was done for love not money.

I think thats how its starts for many!

thepodge – Member
Digital music has leveled the playing field. Bands no longer need record labels & can reach millions of people really easily which wasn’t an option when I first started.

True but very few actually reach thousands let alone Millions, the Majority of good get lost in an ocean of medicority, some would say this is where labels come in.