To Stream or Not to Stream: Pro and Cons

Everyone has heard so much hoopla about streaming and subscription services. Everyone has also heard of Lady Ga Ga . Well, here’s an article every musician needs to read http://www.good.is/posts/thieving-and-streaming-spotify-paid-gaga-167-for-1-million-spins-of-poker-face/

Lady Ga Ga had over a million spins on Spotify and was paid a whopping $167.00. So who does streaming benefit? It sure isn’t the artists who make the music. Spotify claims it’s loosing money. Since the inception of streams and subscription services, labels and artists have watched their digital income plummet into the toilet. Anyone know a good plumber to retrieve all those “would have been” downloads?

Does anyone know what the artist is paid? Check these articles out.

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/09/03/less-than-a-stinkin-cent/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/how-much-are-next-gen-music-services-really-paying-artists/

These streaming and subscription services say it benefits the artists to have people “hear” their music.That’s suppose to be a “pro”. How does being paid a fraction of a cent benefit the artists who paid thousands of hard earned dollars to create the music, only to see streaming services raping them of their living and stealing their craft.

Artists that want to be heard read this article:

http://blog.nextbigsound.com/post/37277146054/what-social-media-has-to-do-with-record-sales

Radio is still the number one way to sell records and for artists to tour. So what fans are gained by someone streaming your song one time - NONE. But if they download it —they will listen over and over again. Then you have a fan.

Streaming does not benefit an artist. Do you think Lady Ga Ga can make a living off of $167.00 a year? Do you think you will even come close to making that huge amount of money Lady Ga Ga did? There are digital distributors out there that you can choose whether you allow streams and subscription services or not.

Are you an Artist ? Do you have your music available for streaming and subscription services? If you do, I urge you to take it down.

Stand up for your right to make a living off your music and say, “No”, to streams.

Stephen Wrench is CEO, Musik and Film Inc. He has been in the music industry over 40 years, in many capacities as singer/songwriter/producer/artist management and VP of division at RCA.