What’s up y’all, Harkos Here.
“Spotify is a multi billion dollar company and the CEO is a billionaire.
Artists should get paid more than 004 cents per stream!”
I see posts like this all the time online, and I'm sure you all have seen the same, maybe you have even posted the same style of statement. However I'm one of the rare ones that would disagree with this statement especially the part about artists deserving higher pay.
Let me just go ahead and say it outright, I'm all for artists making money, just in case there was any confusion right there. However, I don't think that the streaming platforms should be paying artists more than what they are making. At least not one penny her stream like has been proposed.
See I see Spotify and streaming platforms as marketing and promotional platforms, not sales platforms. Many people see it as a sales platform, and I completely understand why.
You get paid a certain amount per stream, however, you have no direct contact with or data about your fans. You can't directly target them next time you drop a song. You're relying on the streaming platform to get your music in front of the correct people.
This is not a sales platform!
On a sales platform, such as your website, you are able connect directly with those who have shown interest in what you provide, or have already purchased from you. Also you are able to name your own price based on the value that you provide.
A website is a sales platform!
Those two paragraphs are a very high level simplification of the differences between a sales platform and a marketing platform.
But I think you understand what I'm getting at.
But as always I don't like to just complain about a situation or even call somebody out on their complaining, I like to provide solutions. My overall solution for this is for you to adjust your mindset when it comes to these different platforms and treat streaming platforms just like you would treat social media.
Follow the simple rules of content for Social Media:
Create your content so that it is formatted for optimal engagement right off the jump. Make sure those first three seconds are catchy enough to get somebody to continue enjoying the content. Also, make sure that your content keeps people's attention throughout the entirety of it.
Those are the rules for social media and they are also the same for music.
Music is another form of content, we all know this. We grew up with television and radio providing the content to us and if we were not interested in the content shortly after it started we would turn away and go check out something else.
Streaming platforms and social media are just like radio and TV!
Make sure that you're treating your content and your music in the same way is my overall message.
Don't expect direct money coming out of streaming platforms or social media, expect them to actually take your money in order to grow your fan base. It's all a marketing write off whenever it comes to your taxes anyway.
Look at things in a longer timeline than just royalty disbursement to royalty disbursement. Look at things over the course of a year bare minimum.
Obviously you want to spend your money wisely on marketing but don't expect to get a one for one return out of that. For example, if you spend $70 on a marketing campaign for a week, don't expect to get $70 worth of streams that same week. All marketing is something that you build over time. So make sure that you take the time.
I know that it's a long drawn-out process, but the path to success is a long bumpy road full of twists and turns and obstacles in your way. And honestly if you can't handle that then trying to get a music career is probably not for you. Maybe it's just your hobby, and that's perfectly fine.
Have a good one
P.S. I made a full video talking about this topic in more detail that you can find on Youtube. To check it out, hit the button below. You can also find this video and full episodes of the Music Makin Cents Podcast available on all streaming platforms. Link available HERE
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