Alternatives to big streaming services

#1

Hi folks,
With today’s announcement that XLR8R will offer a subscription service, and amid discussions of other platforms like Resonate, I wanted to ask people’s thoughts about genuine alternatives to streaming giants like Spotify and Apple Music. Will you subscribe to an XLR8R+ or other services like it? What are the pros and cons of these new models for cultural production and distribution?

#2

honestly im fine with things the way they are currently. its no surprise spotify and the likes dont provide money with the loose requirements tethered to contracting ur music onto it (unless ur enormously popular). just an easier way to make ppl listen to ur music and get into it. ppl dont have to send as many uncomfortable promo emails

i dont see the need for alternatives. theres just never gonna be a plausible format that gives u the accessibility of artists that is the major plus of streaming, whilst benefiting the artist. unless they make their restrictions harsher for getting on streaming, the latter will never happen. its a terrible oxymoron if u try to view it as a mechanism of profit

and if u retain it simply as a reservoir for exposure what more could u possibly need that what spotify already accomplishes?

#3

I would be extremely surprised if the current Spotify / Apple setup couldn’t be improved to benefit the artist more. They are huge businesses owned by shareholders and they will inevitably try and squeeze as much profit out of it as possible to the detriment of anyone and everyone else involved.

More generally, ppl interested in this stuff should look up current left wing thinking about the challenges capitalist internet platforms pose for the socialist project. There’s a book about it called Platform Capitalism. I’ve not read it and am no expert on the subject but I’m sure google will point you in the right direction!

#4

Yes, I suppose I should have phrased my question better. No doubt Spotify &c. are great for the user, and easy for artists to park their work and hope for the best. I wonder though about algorithms railroading certain things and ignoring others. I wonder how easy it is to truly “discover” music. And I wonder, above all, how artists (and writers like myself) are supposed to make a living in a world that increasingly devalues the fruits of our labour.

My main question is, what are the pros and cons of new ideas like the one XLR8R is trying to launch? And are there other ones out there that might work on a larger scale to be able to better remunerate people for their work?

#5

The XLR8R offer and Spotify are completely different models…

Spotify has millions of tracks you can stream. The XLR8R subscription gives you 3 x MP3 downloads every month which won’t be on Spotify, for $5 per month.

I don’t personally see the appeal of paying for music you may or may not like. If it was in physical format, maybe, but not in digital format.

#6

I still think the Bandcamp model is best for independent artists and I try to support it as much as possible.

I’m slowly coming around to getting a Spotify subscription for my rap and oldschool listening but data plans in Canada suck and if I have to use offline mode, why not just use Mp3s?

#7

One of the streaming giants should just hurry up and announce a partnership with Traktor or Pioneer

#8

Yeah, if you want to actually discover ‘underground’ music, then Bandcamp is as good as it gets (and it’s really fucking good!) Seriously, that might seem like an obvious answer, but I can almost guarantee that those of you on the fence haven’t experienced its true potential yet…it took me a couple years to really come around to it.

Otherwise, it’s YouTube all day long, bb’s. I realize I’m feeding the Google giant and that algorithm is too oppressive for my record-buying ass–though frustratingly effective–but I find the two allow me to stream music in the only way that makes sense to me. But streaming is not my primary form of music lstening so this is just my two cents.

Also, @Photektonic, that’s the model?!?! Talk about a last-gasp effort from a walking dead pub.

#9

After paying for Spotify (family membership) and Soundcloud+ i’m pretty maxed out on the subscription front, especially as I usually purchase an additional 1 or 2 things from band camp each month.

I’ll keep an eye on the content they have, but I can’t see the xlr8r content being worth it. Thinking about it though, when you factor in the enjoyment over the years from their mix series it would be worth it to support that, but how would the artists get their cut?

Being a bit of a dinosaur, i’m still bamboozled sometimes at the volume of music we have access to, we are all very lucky.

#10

w/r/t to discovering music, i agree that the algorithms that they give you definitely streamline into genre platitudes/bands that advertise, which isnt discovering much

past year ive figured out discovering ways to trick the algorithms tho, get around them and squeeze out obtuse things (multiple accounts, vpn, disliking things i might like, etc). considering the dogma is bound to prevail for at least another five years at its level i treat the ‘algorithm tricking’ pursuit the new age version of denying major culture and seeking the minor

i apply this mindset for any major site i use. especially youtube. i miss the days when there was no thumbnail/video quality standard, no revenue being gained, no preference filters…its still out there, just so much harder to find. im talking about obscure and random things btw, not specifically pertaining to music

#11

Bandcamp is the one for me although it’s encouraged me to start buying loads of cassettes again which I can probably do without :rofl:
Not sure what it’s like for paying the artists. Can’t imagine it’s worse than anywhere else.

#12

For discovering new stuff Last FM has been most kind to me but it was about ten years ago that I was using that.

I’ve recently been after something like that again. I downloaded Deezer thinking I could train the algorithm to suggest some decent experimental electronic stuff. I put a bit of effort into suggested my fave stuff to it and spent a bit of time liking and disliking the stuff it played me but it didn’t seem to learn a thing. It kept playing the Kaiser Chiefs weirdly, are they shareholders?

I like YouTube’s algorithm when i go down a wormhole of older records, rares, funk, dub, doo wop, novelty records etc. It’s good for that.

#13

Luckily I get spotify with my phone bundle. But I have quite enjoyed having it. It’s thrown up some good stuff with its recommendations on the Monday and the release radar. Although the big playlists it recommends aren’t any good.

I’d definately like something more mix oriented. I guess like soundcloud. But I hardly ever user it. I’ve got a strange aversion to mixes that aren’t divded by track. Like it just bugs me to hell, no idea why.

I find that a certain less legitimate p2p website is great for finding new stuff. Collages, recommended artists and a beutiful layout (Gazelle). Now I’ve got cash in my pocket I still buy the stuff that I like. Especially via bandcamp which is also great.

I guess variety is the spice of life. I guess I can’t see that I’ll ever be reliant on just a single service.

#14

came across this article today which I think is somewhat relevant to the conversation…

most interesting takeaway was this line speaking to the flaws of the big streaming platforms:

“artists create their own communities through what they call an Initial Artist Offering (IAO). Your band would create and sell a certain quantity of a crypto token, like the digital version of a baseball card or vinyl LP. Once you’ve sold a set amount to fans, you can then offer special releases, live experiences, even physical band memorabilia, in exchange for your token. The more popular you and your music get, the more value your token will have, and since blockchain also records transaction dates, length of token ownership could also be a consideration in offering content and access. Finally, your annoying friend who brags about liking a group before they got big can get rewarded for it”

sounds interesting but I don’t see this working longterm…thoughts?

#15

If bandcamp could be adapted into streaming/buying for independent artists, or even better browsing features/a central database that could be searched instead of the current system where labels and artists each have their own individual pages (good, but not as good as the spotify artist pages) then it would be perfect.

#16

Isn’t everything on bandcamp available for buying and streaming?

#17

With regards to finding new sounds, Bandcamp is easily your best bet in my opinion. Though if you wanna just like quickly throw up an album and jam out for a bit, Youtube and Spotify/Deezer works best. There isn’t really much better? Though I will say one fun thing I occasionally do is judge stuff entirely off the vague write-ups that are staff recommendations and also if the album art takes my fancy. Take a couple snaps of the albums in question, search them up later on and see if I enjoy them. It’s definitely lead to a couple of interesting finds for sure. If you want to go out and find some new music for yourself then the best thing to do is to honestly venture out yourself and surf through several related links, look at related acts to your favourite bands, look at THEIR related acts etc.

As far as the streaming “alternative” listed in the first post goes, I’m not convinced. It’s very confusing how its described itself and equally anything that uses “blockchain” or mentions “blockchain” is instantly on my shitlist because it just says to me that they haven’t thought any of it through and just want to use the Hottest Tech ™ in order to get money. If you don’t want to give the big streamers money then utilise YouTube, Bandcamp (I’ve noticed a lot of big bands and artists starting to put their work on there as of recent) and also keep your eyes peeled for 3/6 month free trials on said big streamers. Doesn’t really fix the problem of not using their service, but hey, it’s free :stuck_out_tongue: