Ugh! I'm pissed at this relationship hopping bitch!
Just when I started to like your music, you make it seem like you don't want me to hear it. Sure, I could easily Google my way to a high quality download link of Swift's latest album, Red, but I'm trying to support the industry more. As an anti-Apple music lover one way is by subscribing to Spotify which, up until now, has been a Godsend. All of the music I want on my phone. I can even make playlist of songs I wanted to use for offline use. The only downside was that it limited me to US releases.
Now we could potentially have a much larger issue on our hands. Big Machine Records has given the music streaming software giant the cold shoulder, leaving Swift fans and curious country-pop lovers on Spotify without any new Swift to occupy their headphones. It doesn't really seem like a big deal now, but I'm telling anyone who has Spotify that this spells disaster.
With a humongous opening week and several weeks at #1, Swift is setting an example that may cause other labels to leave their artists music off of streaming sites for the first few months of release. Rihanna has already followed suit, yanking the Spotify release of Unapologetic and I don't doubt other pop stars may take the same path in the future. Obviously, the goal is to mimic the success of Red and pushing people back towards physical copies.
Where Not Using Streaming Services For Your Music Helps
It does boost sales!... At least for the first week or so. With the FBI helping labels crack down on leaks, and artist/producers better managing how music is handled up until the release, the industry has shown a rather large decrease albums and songs leaking before its release date. Even though an artist does get a portion of Spotify's subscription fees or ad revenue, it doesn't count towards an album's chart position on Billboard. Obviously, a label is a lot more interested in the album selling a million copies than a million people listening to the album on YouTube and Spotify.
Where Not Using Streaming Services For Your Music Fails
With changes in technology came changes in Billboard's rules. Where Taylor is hurting herself is in the singles department. Though she's perfectly capable of getting a song to the #1 spot without the new point system that counts streaming media, she's delaying herself by several weeks. 5% may not seem like a ton, but often times the difference between two positions on Billboard is extremely close. Taylor is getting almost no help here because you can't find this song on any streaming services other than the video being on YouTube.
I'm obviously pro-Spotify. I pay $X a month to have music at my finger-tips and don't like being told no... so this may be a reason for me to pack my digital shit and move back to iTunes (which is not compatible with my Samsung Galaxy Note II, just FYI).
I expect most major release next year to ignore streaming service, at least for a month or two while major promotion is in motion.
What are your thoughts on Taylor Swift's potentially fatal blow to Spotify? Has she outsmarted the system or is she just hurting herself in the long run? Should other artist follow suit, or with this situation an anomaly?
I blame the system, not Swift or her label. As an artist, you want to break records (no pun intended) and boost sales. Billboard needs to update their system to count streams and Spotify interest as if they were sales themselves (proportionally). People should really make a big stink about Billboard's ranking system. The way Gangnam Style was denied a #1 spot instead of One More Night, despite Gangnam being MUCH more of a "hit" and widespread, speaks loudly of their flawed system.
ReplyDeletePreach!
DeleteDoes that mean you agree? :)
Deletethe demand for music is elastic, a shift back to the old way will just result in an increase in piracy. the FBI is doing what they can, but the Internet is a large platform, its unlikely for them to have any significant impact.
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