Music streaming didn’t kill downloads
Let me explain why
There are subscriptions for everything from music streaming, mastering services like Landr, even the music licensing is switching to a subscription model. Good news for those who consume but not so good for those who create.
The debate arises about whether music is being devalued due to subscription services, and it is obvious that it is!
Everything has to do with the obsessed orientation towards the final consumer. We see this more and more in music production. The albums are no longer a surprise as the singles have previously been released one by one; mainstream music seems to have its own recipe for holding the listener for at least 30 seconds, the time required for algorithms to count a play.
More and more artists complain about streaming revenue, and many of these artists have contracts with labels, which keep a large percentage of the revenue. It is true that Spotify as well as the other stores pay fractions of cents per play, but unfairly dividing those fractions of cents is not a good idea.
The orientation towards the final consumer pushed everything and everyone from the musical environment to this scenario. The sale of CDs fell and the labels had to recoup their profit from streaming, where the majority of consumers are currently.
What about paid downloads?
Some news says that this year will be the end of the paid download and that statistics show that both on iTunes and Amazon, downloads are falling. Putting a spotlight on a dark stage will only illuminate what is intended, so let’s illuminate also Bandcamp:
Founded in 2007, since 2012 Bandcamp has been profitable. In 2020 alone it sold 5 million albums and 2 million tracks.
It’s free, with Bandcamp getting a 15% commission on digital downloads which means they only win if the artist also wins. And it is one of the platforms that has helped artists the most during these pandemic times. On the first Friday of every month since March, they’re giving away their revenue share in order for the artist to receive the entire revenue.
What keeps Bandcamp growing is its community of non-consumers, but real fans who have the conscious that they are supporting the artists when they’re buying their music.
That is why I insist that every producer should be present at Bandcamp and make it a priority, because it is the perfect place for all producers and beatmakers to sell their music as artists, mainly through Beat Tapes…
Just go to Google, type “Beat Tapes” and then see what is the first result that appears…
Yes, Bandcamp!
