Thought Provoking Article: "The coming implosion of the record business…"

[Samuel T Cogley]

The record companies are not friends to consumers as well.  I never, ever, listen to Taylor Swift (for example), yet she's getting money from me when I stream.

 

Read the OP's article if you're curious about this.

[Samuel T Cogley]

51 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

Glad she doesn't get the money of people who don't stream, cause that would be me. Or does she.?

BTW who is Taylor Swift.? 

 

So you read the article?

[Samuel T Cogley]

On 9/25/2021 at 6:36 AM, PeterG said:

 

I read the article closely--both because I like math and because my son is an artist with a modest Spotify following.  I agree with the general point that the industry is brutal for all but a few, but I disagree with you and the author on the math.  I hope you'll advise if I am wrong (for my son's sake!)

 

You point out that Taylor gets a sliver of your payments even if you don't listen to her.  Good point.  But this ignores that some people listen to Taylor every day, and she likely gets a smaller fraction of their fees than she is due.  My understand of the math from the article--if she is 5% of the streams, she is 5% of the money paid out.  Therefore, your overpayment and the Swifties underpayment balances out.

 

Similarly, Whalen asserts in his point #3 that a single Taylor stream pays more than a single Whalen song stream.  Once again, I do not understand how this can be if the streaming is split pro rata.  Doesn't every stream get paid the same half cent?

 

Looking forward to your thoughts on the math

 

Not disputing your math, but I'm not understanding how Taylor Swift should be getting any money from what I spend on audio streaming services.  It's grift as far as I'm concerned.

[Samuel T Cogley]

13 hours ago, PeterG said:

 

I don't think it makes a difference, because it all balances out at the end.  Here's an extreme example of splitting on a % of streams basis--Let's say there are only 3 artists on Spotify--Taylor, Shakira, Bruno.  And only two listeners--you and me.  I listen to nothing but Taylor, you listen to nothing but Shakira--we both listen to 1,000 songs.  At the end of the month, they put our $15 in a pot, and split it $7.50 to Taylor and $7.50 to Shakira.

 

 

 

How does you math work when I listen to zero contemporary music acts? The lesser acts get no access to the "pot", so how do they get any of the money I pay to streaming services?

[Samuel T Cogley]

Bandcamp has a better model, but the talent?  A very small fraction is good, most most is meh.