Spotify - the ugly truth

[hopkins]

I found this article interesting:

The Ugly Truth About Spotify Is Finally Revealed

A year-long investigation by an indie journalist is a call to action

open.substack.com

As I understand it, Spotify purchases, at low cost, "generic" music from fake artists, and promotes it in their playlists at the expense of "real" artists.

 

[Synaxis]

I'm sorry - I must be legitimately missing something here. I don't see the supposed problem.

If I read this correctly Spotify is paying people to make music who are not superstars, and that is somehow hurting the super stars?

And the piece is written like they uncovered that half the population are really aliens inhabiting human bodies?

I'm legitimately confused what the issue is - and supposed problem.

Isn't this a simple issue of supply and demand - if the music is better - regardless who produces it people will want to listen to that better music more?

 

[Lagonda]

I found this article interesting:

The Ugly Truth About Spotify Is Finally Revealed

A year-long investigation by an indie journalist is a call to action

open.substack.com

As I understand it, Spotify purchases, at low cost, "generic" music from fake artists, and promotes it in their playlists at the expense of "real" artists.

With the current crop of artists, how can you even tell the difference ? Taylor Switch is fine with me !

 

[hopkins]

I'm sorry - I must be legitimately missing something here. I don't see the supposed problem.

If I read this correctly Spotify is paying people to make music who are not superstars, and that is somehow hurting the super stars?

And the piece is written like they uncovered that half the population are really aliens inhabiting human bodies?

I'm legitimately confused what the issue is - and supposed problem.

Isn't this a simple issue of supply and demand - if the music is better - regardless who produces it people will want to listen to that better music more?

Yes, the author is being a little dramatic about the whole thing - but it is still interesting to note that this is happening, and that Spotify is secretive about it.

 

[Synaxis]

Yes, the author is being a little dramatic about the whole thing - but it is still interesting to note that this is happening, and that Spotify is secretive about it.

Totally agree.

OK - thank you. I wasn't sure if I was missing something.

 

[PYP]

Yes, the author is being a little dramatic about the whole thing - but it is still interesting to note that this is happening, and that Spotify is secretive about it.

the bolded part reveals the deception: "What I uncovered was an elaborate internal program. Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with “music we benefited from financially,” but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform."

 

[hopkins]

the bolded part reveals the deception: "What I uncovered was an elaborate internal program. Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with “music we benefited from financially,” but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform."

I never use Spotify playlists, so I checked out some of their jazz playlists. Some have known artists, others seem to correspond to what's written in the article. Here's one:

All the tracks do sound exactly the same (even the instruments sound similar).

It is elevator music, and you will end up like the guy in the picture - asleep.

 

[PYP]

I never use Spotify playlists, so I checked out some of their jazz playlists. Some have known artists, others seem to correspond to what's written in the article. Here's one:

View attachment 142824

All the tracks do sound exactly the same (even the instruments sound similar).

It is elevator music, and you will end up like the guy in the picture - asleep.

it seems Spotify knows its market. Very cynical of them. But they are interested in profit, not music. Many years ago I think we had a free month of Spotify and some of the jazz selections were good. Guess they assumed people wouldn't notice and found a way to maximize profit and cash out.

 

[hopkins]

Here is the original article mentioned:

The Ghosts in the Machine, by Liz Pelly

Spotify’s plot against musicians

harpers.org

From what I understand, spotify does not pay a fixed amount per stream, but pays an amount based on the percentage of an artists' streams over the total streams (by region, etc...).

So by crowding playlists with their own productions they are actually reducing the royalties paid to legitimate artists.

 

[tima]

the bolded part reveals the deception: "What I uncovered was an elaborate internal program. Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with “music we benefited from financially,” but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform."

This used to be called payola.