Welcome to the era of only Spotify Plays matter - let’s take a look at the underbelly of streaming scams affecting independent artists.
Welcome to the era of only Spotify Plays matter - let’s take a look at the underbelly of streaming scams affecting independent artists.
Eh, I switched back to running my own server like five years ago. Sure, technically I’m not giving individual artists their $0.0005 a stream, but nowadays I discover more music, attend more shows, and buy more merch.
During the couple of years I spent streaming, I discovered like Alvvays and Yumi Zouma. Nowadays, I discover new bands monthly if not weekly.
Like AI, streaming recommendation engines are mediocrity machines. All they can do is find you things that sound like the things you already listen to. Sometimes, if you’re adventurous, you find things you love that sound unlike anything else you listen to. If you find a great thing like that, it can change you. Unlike recommendation engine music, which will try to keep you the same forever.
What’s your discovery means now? How do you get exposed to things not currently in your wheelhouse? And once you find that thing, how do you integrate that into your library for listening on an often enough basis?
I find that I binge explore, grab 12 new artists like an old mix CD and see what sticks, but then feel like a hoarder when it sits unplayed in my library for a year.
I use https://www.albumoftheyear.org/ and I subscribe to pitchfork and the rolling stone in my RSS feed.
I also Shazam when I’m out and hear something I like.
Wait, Shazam started working again?
Wait, Shazam didn’t work?
Did it not at some point?
I might be confusing it with SoundHound which seemed like it had become abandoned.
Not who you asked, but I can tell you where I’m at with that. My primary listening is on an mp3 player, and I also use a home server for listening on speakers/tv. Switching to a separate device used only for music has made my listening far more deliberate. When I pick up the player, I’m making a point to listen to music, not just have it on in the background like I used to. It’s also a pain in the ass (comparitively) to make playlists on it (I purposely chose a scroll-wheel style and no touch screen) so I’m listening to a lot of full albums now, which I never really did before, exposing me to a lot more than I used to since I don’t just throw the song or two I like on a playlist and leave the rest.
There’s been an interesting side effect that I didn’t expect: Being more deliberate with my listening has sharpened my ear to music, I hear music in movies and shows in a way I never used to, I’m beginning to recognize voices and band styles by ear, I actually focus on music now instead of it just being part of the background. As such, I find a lot of new music these days by looking up songs from movies and tv. For example, the most recent:
I completely devoured the Sinners soundtrack. (Ludwig Göransson is a fave and I’ve always been a fan of Buddy Guy)
Watching Dope Thief, I realized I never skipped the intro. Got me hooked on Little Simz
James Gunn has some great taste. Beyond season 1 of Peacemaker, Season 2 has already got me absolutely loving Foxy Shazam, and after the latest ep I’ve been getting into Hardcore Superstar.
Strangely enough, Rick and Morty has some bangers in the later seasons, and got me listening to stuff I never would have like Kishi Bashi.
Additionally, there’s the news. I’ve been listening to Bob Vylan and Kneecap, and only heard of them because they stood up to support Palestinians.
Not only has my listening become more deliberate, but my sourcing of new music has as well. No longer relying on an algorithm to do the work for me has allowed me to hone a new skill and learn how to find new music myself.
I’ve found a lot of the same as you, listening to albums changed me for the better.
Just recently I bought the Horizon Forbidden West sound track on Qobuz at a sale, paid less than 1 Euro per hour. Its weird, I don’t pay attention to the music while playing the game, but listening to the soundtrack almost take me into that world.
I’m realizing how much I missed growing up by just listening to compilation albums and burning popular songs and listening to the same songs over and over. Albums can tell stories, and it’s interesting listening to how the songs flow together.
I’ve been listening to a lot of soundtracks from Skyrim to Outer Wilds, and anything by Hans Zimmer, Ludwig Goransson, and Ramin Djwadi.
Totally agree! On the other hand I have this whole universe of albums to learn to appreciate now! I’m also getting away from traditional social media, the 24-hour news cycle, porn etc and I find that just sitting down and listen to music and let my mind wander to be an amazing experience. Would recommend to literally anyone
I wish you the best! The only social I have left is Lemmy (do most of my scrolling on RSS now so there’s no comments) and as of 3 weeks ago have officially cut out all big tech (grapheneos on phone, linux on PC and laptops, no Google/Amazon etc). It’s been a long 2 year journey but I feel like I accomplished something I can be proud of.
I’ve since finished a novel for the first time in years, started another, and listened to more diverse music than I ever have.
I still keep up with news (france24, fairly unbiased) but only because I feel like it’s my responsibility to stay as informed as I’m capable of, especially now with fascism on the rise again.
Keep it up!
can’t speak for OP but for me, surprisingly, youtube shorts. Once that damn thing gets your algo figured out for you suddenly you can start finding bands that are in your wheelhouse. Start by looking for shorts on your current favourite bands and eventually new stuff will start popping up that should be similar to your taste.
Honestly for all the crap that’s on youtube, shorts has been one of if not the best tool for me to find new music/bands. Once I find something I like then it’s off to SoulSeek/Nicotine+ to add it to my server.