Sep 27th, 2015, 03:56 PM

Music Streaming: RIP MP3s

By Rachael Fong-Gurzinsky
(Photo: Slash Gear)
How the rise of digital streaming has reshaped the consumption, distribution, and appreciation of modern music

The omnipresence of digital music, especially now with the Spotify vs Apple Music battle, has got me and other twentysomethings reminiscing about a time before streaming.

I downloaded Spotify in 2012 and only recently, a few months ago, upgraded to Premium. I loved my library of mp3s. It was easily one of my most socially valuable possessions. I had spent years upon years building my collection, trading artists’ discographies via 4GB USB drives with my friends, and then switching to Dropbox for an “easier” exchange. My iTunes library was my pride and my joy, a vital organ that prompted conversations and helped form relationships.

I can even remember a simpler time before mp3s when my best birthday present was a gift certificate to our local music shop, Scotty’s Records (RIP). My mom would drive me there at her earliest convenience so I could grab the latest and greatest, slap the jewel case insert that doubled as a poster on my closet door, and educate myself on the truths of falling in love, getting your heart broken, and rejecting them when they come crawling back.

So naturally I at first resented the speed at which digital music was altering a large part of my life. But really, what a selfish thought. I worked for a small record label in Seattle for a short stint. I also have friends in bands. I recognize the value of distribution via free streaming. Building your brand and presence in the industry really is the ticket to success. And while some pop princesses may feel otherwise, I believe digital streaming platforms make the music industry more dynamic and prosperous for both contributors and listeners. Soundcloud and Bandcamp, for example, connect artists to listeners by providing links to distribute across all social media platforms for maximum and easy exposure.

I know the big debate here is about artist compensation and it’s true that free streaming is not monetarily beneficial for artists. Free streaming on Spotify provides nearly nothing for artists as far as compensation goes, and not much more when users pay for Spotify Premium. 

It’s estimated that in order for an artist to earn an average minimum wage strictly off of regular Spotify listens, they would need to receive over 4 million clicks on their tracks per month. This seems perfectly fair for top charting artists who don’t even need the revenue from digital streaming, but what about the smaller artists? Even well-known musicians like David Lawry & La Roux know what it’s like to be underpaid for their digital tracks. Elly Jackson, singer from synthpop duo La Roux, tweated at Spotify on September 22nd, "thanks for the £100 for this quarter just gone, one more month and I might be able to afford your premium service. Lucky me!" 

Elly Jackson of La Roux (Photo from NME)

Taylor Swift’s choice to remove her discography from Spotify a few months ago did not necessarily go over well with Spotify’s listeners but her point is also a valid one: digital streaming is not profitable for artists. They earn a fraction of what they would have from mp3s purchased, making it impossible to survive on online listening alone.

In the end, it is fair to say that digital music may be beneficial for the big players in the music industry whose tracks will generate millions of clicks a month. When it comes down to the small and emerging artists however, digital music really is just a source of nearly free distribution.

But where would we be without digital music? If Scotty’s Records was still my main access point for discovering new music, how would emerging artists even compete with the big guys? It’s a difficult truth to accept, but in order to succeed as a musician in 2015, it seems it's necessary to give up the idea that a direct profit will be made every time a track is played. The game is now about exposure and how to utilize Spotify and other streaming sites to tap into the tightly woven, social media web of listeners. They are the ones who will generate sales in the end by going to shows and boosting artists’ clout scores. Today, exposure and positive response are what will book the good gigs and in return pay the bills.