We want to get some data on playlists we have created with your Spotify account. Can we access your data through Spotify's Web API?
If you remotely follow music-related news, you probably have seen Spotify criticized for many reasons in the late 2010s. This website brings together information from many sources to make a case against this narrative that Spotify paints: they are the saviors of the music industry. Spotify claims that when piracy was rampant, streaming came in and gave the power back to the musicians. The reality is far from this. They make it as difficult as possible (see this) to gather information that contradicts this. Use this web app as an easy tool to learn and spread the truth about Spotify.
This website is designed to deliver information in a straightforward and engaging fashion. Head over to the Experience page to take an enlightening quiz on the state of the music industry. Visit the Solutions page if you are curious about what actions you can take today to encourage positive change. Or stay here and continue reading to further understand the main issues that Spotify perpetuates.
Spotify ranks last among major streaming platforms in their payout per stream. Small artists that do not have profit from tours and merchandising to lean on rely on their music to keep the lights on. Spotify makes this as difficult as possible, despite advertising themselves as a great place for artists to start their career.
With streaming servies, artists receive a payment based on market share of track plays and other factors. This encourages artists to pump out weekly tracks to keep their listener base stimulated with new content and keep streaming numbers up. It no longer makes fiscal sense for an artist reliant on streaming revenue to take time to invest an a longer project. CEO Daniel Elk even went as far as to say that it is not enough for artists to only release an album every 3 to 4 years. This is a ridiculous confinement of a longterm artistic project like an LP. Elk's rhetoric yields one result: most artists are no longer willing or able to take the time to create albums that span complicated themes and issues.
Spotify and other streaming services have poured millions of dollars into appealing a 44% raise in mechanical songwriter royalty payments. It is impossible to advertise themselves as a platform supporting artists if they are actively trying to minimize how much they have to shell out to musicians. Instead Spotify treats this like any other company cost: one that should be kept as low as possible.
of all music revenue comes from streaming services in the U.S.
artists earned over 1 million dollars from Spotify in 2021
artists who earned $10,000 and released their first song in the past 2 years
dollars earned per million streams on Spotify
Spotify's cut of money from subscription and ads
Grubhub's cut for a comparable service
There are many alternatives to using Spotify. Other streaming services, like Tidal, provide higher quality audio and better payout to artists. Websites like Bandcamp let you buy digital albums from many smaller artists.
Support the Union for Musicians and Allied Works (UMAW). This organization was created in 2020 when the music industry was faced with the plight of no live touring due to COVID-19.
Use alternatives to streaming services for spreading your music. Social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok allow artists to reach a wide variety of audiences on their own for free. Additionally, be sure to distribute your music on all streaming services, not just Spotify.
Consider distributing your music privately. Use the Internet to spread your name, start a Youtube or Twitch channel. Collect ad revenue and reach out to brands to enter a partnership. The most money is in gigs and tours, so use the Internet to your advantage there as well.