Since the first day it was offered in the United States, I’ve been an early-adopter to using Spotify as a listener and musician with music available on the streaming platform.
I thought I’d spend some time this week debunking seven myths I’ve heard about Spotify. Click on the links below to read why these myths are false.
- A stream pays an artist 0.006 cents.
- A stream pays an artist $0.006
- Spotify gives 70% of the revenues to rights holders. The exact same amount rendered by iTunes.
- Spotify is just like iTunes Radio or Pandora
- It’s a promotional tool: Musicians were OK with songs being on the radio for low pay, so they should be OK with Spotify for low pay.
- Spotify is killing download and CD sales.
- You will make money from Spotify over the long term. It’s about the long tail!
OMG! I finally have a few days off! What do you do on your day off from work?
I described my recent day off to a friend, and he replied, sadly, “Wow, it sounds like you worked on your day off.”
I loved my day off to do work!
You see, there are two types of work for an artist or musician. In How to Be Creative, cartoonist and author Hugh Macleod describes it as the “sex and cash theory.”
The sexy work we love to do (for me writing original songs, recording original songs) is the stuff I get to do on my days off! The cash work is the work that helps pay the bills. (Right now, this is playing covers at bars.)
I enjoy playing my covers gigs, too, but it should be no surprise that really fun moments is writing and performing my original music.
So my days off are the days might sound similar to my days working; but trust me, it’s different.
Driving a few hundred miles to spend 10 hours working on music at Catherine North Studios--yep, that's a great day off!
“The overnight success myth is simply that, a myth,” Seth Godin reminds us.
I’ll add that this myth is dangerous to a musician or artist. It can keep us from doing the necessary work.
Myths: Justin Bieber reached success by simply posting Youtube videos, being on a singing TV show will make her successful, graduating from the right art school will be the ticket to success, being an opening act for a successful artist will be the moment you “make it.”
There is no single moment where an artist “makes it.” There are tons of baby steps that help us get to tangible destinations.
Don’t let the myth of giant leaps stop you from taking baby steps.
Set List – Ann Arbor Art Fair 107.1 Stage
July 18, 2013 – Ann Arbor Art Fair
107.1 FM Stage
- Empty Cup
- Love Birds
- Don’t Mess Around with Jim*
- Made a Mess
- Damn Fine Day
- Mahogany
- Here Comes the Sun^
- Only the Rain Knows Why
*Jim Croce cover
^Beatles cover
Big thanks to hosts John Bommarito and Matthew Altruda for having me play the 107.1 FM stage! Whew, it’s a hot one, today.
