I came across this interesting post the other day from American composer Gabriel Kahane.

So discuss we will.  The main problem with streaming services like Spotify for smaller independent artists is their limited marketing reach.  A limited reach results in a limited number of streams which generates very small amounts of revenue. In addition you have no idea who or where these listeners are.

Composer Gabriel Kahane.

Gabriel offered his music for free (or for a small donation) through Bandcamp and in doing so was still able to generate more money than from Spotify.  He also got something more valuable, an email address.  An email address will allow you to build a relationship with that listener keeping them updated through your mailing list with information about shows, merchandise etc.  On that basis if fans want to listen to your music it seems a better strategy to direct them to services like Bandcamp and Noisetrade over Spotify so you can get fan emails and start building a relationship.

With the small royalties generated, is it even worth it?

Ultimately, the issue that hasn’t been resolved in all this is how independent artists should handle their catalogue on streaming services. Should ALL your music be on there? Should NONE of your music be on there?  Should you just release singles on Spotify and keep your albums for sale elsewhere?  Nobody has a hard or fast answer.  As an artist myself, my current album isn’t on Spotify and there doesn’t seem to have been an upturn in physical sales or downloads due to its absence. However, we have seen recently that streaming is good for live music sales.

If your music is currently on Spotify, and you want to know who your how can you make the most of it, here are a few 60 Second Music Marketing articles that will help you get the most out of it

Record audio calls to action to encourage people to visit your website
How To Sell Your Band Merch On Spotify
Get Your Gigs Listed On YouTube, Spotify & More

Got any questions about this post or how you can better market yourself?

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