There are a lot of headlines in the news around us about how streaming music has won in the last couple of years. The growing popularity of the streaming music platforms among the music lovers have made them irresistible even for the music giants. So you can say that the streaming music platforms have today become a kind of mainstream radio and the front line labels. This trend has a lot of implications for the growing indie musicians.
While the headlines dominating the news talk about the victory of streaming music over the downloads, streaming royalties did not actually rise as the music industry would have liked it. In a statement concerning the situation, SoundExchange, a nonprofit licensing agency says, “It’s only fair that artists and record labels receive a market price when their music is used. We believe the rates set by the C.R.B. do not reflect a market price for music and will erode the value of music in our economy. We will review the decision closely and consider all of our options.”
Amidst all the hype that we see about the different streaming music platforms, Taylor Swift has decided not to list her creations on some of the most popular streaming platforms. She remarked, “Streaming is a bit disposable. I know that streaming music is the future, but it’s not the only way to consume music. I can’t pledge allegiance to something that I don’t know how I feel about yet.”
Such a position need a gut that no indie artist possesses today. Nevertheless, when a major artist whose music is everywhere around us choosing not to list her music on some popular streaming platforms is a significant information for the indie artists to reflect on something notable about what we are talking about now. As an indie artist, you must decide depending on what works the best for you. Though you might not have the luxury of deciding like Adele, you do have your own freedom to pave your own course and evolve your own model. Nevertheless, if you have decided to try streaming, here are the tips that will come to your help.
Be vigilant and do a thorough research. Find out what services work the best for you. Find out what popular streaming services are promptly paying the artists. Sing up for a couple of services and discover what you like about them. The best streaming platform must make it easier to discover you in your genre. It must have some proven processes to convert a listener into a customer. What you like about a streaming service is probably what appeals to your audience.
Some big names in the streaming industry are known as ‘Artist Aggregators’ who automatically distribute your music across a number of stores and streaming services. In fact, indie artists who are not on a label cannot manage their own music on these streaming services. These aggregators will give you numbers based on how your creations are performing. While streaming music, it is essential to closely observe what happens with your plays.
It is also prudent to adopt an approach against the mainstream. As a growing indie artist, it is necessary to make your music available to everyone. When compared to the days of manufacturing digital media and mailing it spending a lot of money, digital distribution has created a level playing field for distributing your music today. Coming in different ways can help you stand out from the others in the industry. The real streaming happens when you play live music to your audience. Hence it is always prudent to put your innovation, heart, and soul into your live performances to impress your audience in a unique way.
By Patrick Hill on July 19, 2018.
