I had no clue this situation is happening in the music world, but it doesn't surprise me in the least. As an illustrator, I'm fighting a battle over the "hand-made" with Ai, myself. Thank you for bringing this topic up, as I will now reassess different sites like Spotify.
Last year, I switched to Qobuz after some recommendations on Substack. It’s excellent. Weekly recommendations of new releases and reissues by actual people. Higher quality files sound noticeably way better even in my Toyota Corolla speakers. Also, if you check out an album for a week on Hoopla, that typically generates a much high royalty payout than any streaming service - it’s a different type of license.
Zach, you always bring a delicate tenderness to topics that typically provoke fiery cynicism in me. Your writing always helps me pause and recall gentle reflection as opposed to hotheadedness, and it’s needed. Thank you, brother.
grateful to hear that—trying to get to the roots of my own feelings on stuff like this, beyond the existential threat it poses to my livelihood. cheers!
As easy as it is to begin feeling hopeless as artists in this time of AI, your words give me some hope. Because I’m reminded that, like all other man-made structures, this will not last. Without the breath of life, computer-generated art will die quickly. Only when we invite God into our creative processes do we have even the slightest chance of making something that will last. When we invite him into it, our motivations change and our goals change. It’s no longer for success measured by dollars, but in his glorification to the world around us. This makes me sad that this is where we’re at, but also hope that the appeal will quickly fade.
So good!! Thank you for speaking honestly and prophetically about these things! I’ve stubbornly refused to even use Spotify because I know artists get almost nothing (honestly it could also be because I’m a little bitter knowing when I finally get an album recorded I’ll be affected too) so I appreciate you speaking out about AI reasons as well, and the underlying systems at work.
yeah- sadly it’s the most popular streaming service but almost every other service treats artists better. i haven’t pulled my music from spotify as it is still a very real portion of how i feed my family, but if there was ever a collective divestment where lots of artists acted in our own interest to crash the platform/sting whatever remaining conscience spotify may have, i for one would be game.
but yes, many non-artists are using a rent-seeking mentality to shrink actual artists’ incomes and grow their own. i don’t think it will play out well.
I believe there is a movie by this name but, no, this is a new music alternative that I think you’ll find compelling. Focus is on the artists and their fans. Good luck on your search, Zach. 👍👍👍
I don't subscribe to a streaming music service, but I use my free spotify account to check things out. I'll buy a download of music I like from amazon or a vinyl of music I really like. How much do you make when someone buys your digital music from amazon or iTunes?
honestly, anything is better than spotify in terms of artist payouts. spotify is the most popular streaming service for the moment, but if half of my listeners changed to tidal and the rest stopped listening entirely, i’d still be better off
Beautiful. Thanks for this. I’ve been struggling with my perspective on AI. As the owner of a digital creative content agency, I feel the pressure to understand, embrace, and capitalize on AI as a tool. But as a graphic artist, songwriter, and human, I am increasingly wary of what this tool is doing to our society and the long term implications of having it infiltrate every aspect of our lives. Especially the arts. This gave me the words. Also the courage to cancel Spotify Premium. My kids are gonna hate it 😅
thank you Cody. yeah, there's both sides of it right? esp for people in professionally creative fields... on one hand, there are the philosophical implications of allowing the acid rain of tech to strip us of that which makes us human, and on the other hand, this is our livelihood, and we have no certainty or guarantees on how this will all shake out. it can be very jarring if we don't have a way of orienting ourselves back towards what our lives and work are really about/for...
also practically, I have heard from a lot of people that there lots of options for transferring playlists and everything in your library to another streaming service. might be a little learning curve for the kids, but yeah, I think it's time for a change.
It pains me because my longest playlist has 467 pieces. My second longest, with completely different songs has 328.
I remember the sheer joy of being able to access all of this music whenever I want, in one little app. Not having to have a physical collection or carry it around (I grew up during the CDs era) I mean how could I even?
And fortunately I’m mostly spared from this issue, for now, since I tend to listen to Classical and Jazz the most. But it’s just so awful that this is happening, that Spotify is doing this….
Thank you for bringing light to this. Subject matter aside, it was a delightful read
hey Renee—there's definitely some sadness for me too... it's like finding out your favorite coffee shop has been paying their baristas worse than every other place in town for the last several years. the upside is that the baristas are transferable! I'll be sharing some practical thoughts tomorrow.
I think AI music is less likely to be passable in Jazz genre, but depending on what kind of classical music you're listening to, there may be some fake artists, AI or otherwise, infiltrating some of those playlists. check these links:
I was wrong—this Jazz Piano playlist on Spotify is chock full of either AI-generated music or same artist producing songs under different artist names and the artist & spotify have a non-disclosed deal:
Hey, Zach! Independent artist here. I'm just curious, how are you supporting artists? All I see recently is "AI music is bad for culture," and "AI is stealing from artists," but what's your solution? Are you supporting artists in a way that helps them compete with the AI invasion? How is boycotting spotify better than listening to your favorite artist's catelogue? And why spend an article highlighting several AI bands without mentioning human-made music that is inspiring and creative and good? I'm just trying to promote some critical thought. Your content is really the only sentiment I've seen/read/heard regarding AI music, but never any real artist support.
hey Morgan—I wrote this not planning to write a follow-up. sometimes the unanswered question does more work on a person's mind than the "here's problem + I have the solution" formula.
I'm an independent artist, singer-songwriter, poet (mix engineer, writer, producer, etc). all my skin is in the game.
this article was meant to draw attention to a problem that most people probably aren't aware of, the influx and outsized promotion of AI generated content, and how it is weasling its way into the music world. I plan to publish a follow-up on Wednesday morning.
I invite you to subscribe if you're interested.
peace and blessings in your work in the war of art.
In tears. I wondered what was going on with the Cageless Birds when I saw that single drop . . . was too naive to realize what it was. "To define art as relationship and communication . . ." The beauty of Jesus was that he demonstrated the entirety of human life as divine art.
Thanks again Zach, I'll be restacking. Would love for you to share your alternatives as well. As someone who makes Spotify playlists as a personal art form (I make one per week, just for myself, and I go all out with the cover art and everything) I'm seriously considering unsubscribing. I would also love to know if you're going to continue releasing your own music on the platform? I'm guessing yes?
Would love to come see you guys in OKC because I adore Jess too. Thanks for all you do!
Thoughts and feelings that arose while reading this... That question "what are we here for" always brings to mind the Westminster Catechism question "what is the chief end of man?" and the answer "to love God and enjoy Him forever". This article made me want to go grab a catechism and really work through it. Also, I think when we love good music and care for the artists who create it, we are also loving God and learning more about enjoying Him. I am curious what you are doing instead of Spotify? What would you consider a healthy way of streaming music that also supports the musicians that made it?
thanks for sharing your reflections. today I was reading in 1 John about "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." it's not exactly the same vein, but it suggests the same principle you're talking about
I may do a follow-up next week as I've gotten a lot of ideas from others. but I'll say for now that pretty much anything is better than Spotify for artists. I mentioned in another comment:
if half of my listeners changed to tidal and the rest stopped listening entirely, i’d still be better off
I appreciate your clear thinking on this topic. As a music artist, I have been deeply alarmed at how the streaming platforms essentially ride on the subsidy of creators to profit and erase the human voices they supposedly channeled. I have shared similar concerns about AI, ‘Content’, and Intimacy
yes it seems like the rewards are skewing in the wrong direction. if spotify wants to become a bot farm on the creative side and on the stream-farm side, they are beginning to show their true colors. if not, they will need change course. and meanwhile (maybe it’s too soon to tell) we creatives may need to jump ship.
“When the game is rigged, people lose interest in playing.” — Ted Gioia
If the tracks are attributed to a specific artist, how hard can it be for Spotify to only pay that artist for work attributed to them? I am blown away that there's zero identity verification on the platform.
there's supposed to be. I imagine with the amount of real and AI content flooding the platform every day it would be difficult to keep up with. but it shouldn't take as long as it did for the artists to get it taken down. esp since, like you said, these artists are verified. that system seems broken.
I had no clue this situation is happening in the music world, but it doesn't surprise me in the least. As an illustrator, I'm fighting a battle over the "hand-made" with Ai, myself. Thank you for bringing this topic up, as I will now reassess different sites like Spotify.
My prayer for you and all artists is that the "hand-made" will win. Every. Single. Time.
Last year, I switched to Qobuz after some recommendations on Substack. It’s excellent. Weekly recommendations of new releases and reissues by actual people. Higher quality files sound noticeably way better even in my Toyota Corolla speakers. Also, if you check out an album for a week on Hoopla, that typically generates a much high royalty payout than any streaming service - it’s a different type of license.
I love the recommendations! I'll look into both of these. thank you.
Zach, you always bring a delicate tenderness to topics that typically provoke fiery cynicism in me. Your writing always helps me pause and recall gentle reflection as opposed to hotheadedness, and it’s needed. Thank you, brother.
grateful to hear that—trying to get to the roots of my own feelings on stuff like this, beyond the existential threat it poses to my livelihood. cheers!
As easy as it is to begin feeling hopeless as artists in this time of AI, your words give me some hope. Because I’m reminded that, like all other man-made structures, this will not last. Without the breath of life, computer-generated art will die quickly. Only when we invite God into our creative processes do we have even the slightest chance of making something that will last. When we invite him into it, our motivations change and our goals change. It’s no longer for success measured by dollars, but in his glorification to the world around us. This makes me sad that this is where we’re at, but also hope that the appeal will quickly fade.
well said. all this might have real consequences, but it’s also out of my hands, outside of spreading the word.
if some day i become wise, i would like to think it might sound something like, “if it’s feeling hopeless, you’re looking at it wrong.”
So good!! Thank you for speaking honestly and prophetically about these things! I’ve stubbornly refused to even use Spotify because I know artists get almost nothing (honestly it could also be because I’m a little bitter knowing when I finally get an album recorded I’ll be affected too) so I appreciate you speaking out about AI reasons as well, and the underlying systems at work.
yeah- sadly it’s the most popular streaming service but almost every other service treats artists better. i haven’t pulled my music from spotify as it is still a very real portion of how i feed my family, but if there was ever a collective divestment where lots of artists acted in our own interest to crash the platform/sting whatever remaining conscience spotify may have, i for one would be game.
but yes, many non-artists are using a rent-seeking mentality to shrink actual artists’ incomes and grow their own. i don’t think it will play out well.
Check out “Coda” - well worth your time. You won’t be disappointed 👍
is this a movie?
I believe there is a movie by this name but, no, this is a new music alternative that I think you’ll find compelling. Focus is on the artists and their fans. Good luck on your search, Zach. 👍👍👍
I'll look into it!
I don't subscribe to a streaming music service, but I use my free spotify account to check things out. I'll buy a download of music I like from amazon or a vinyl of music I really like. How much do you make when someone buys your digital music from amazon or iTunes?
honestly, anything is better than spotify in terms of artist payouts. spotify is the most popular streaming service for the moment, but if half of my listeners changed to tidal and the rest stopped listening entirely, i’d still be better off
here’s a comparison of some of the major streaming services: https://virpp.com/hello/music-streaming-payouts-comparison-a-guide-for-musicians/
but one person buying a shirt or vinyl blows away any comparison to what one person can do with night and day streaming my music
Beautiful. Thanks for this. I’ve been struggling with my perspective on AI. As the owner of a digital creative content agency, I feel the pressure to understand, embrace, and capitalize on AI as a tool. But as a graphic artist, songwriter, and human, I am increasingly wary of what this tool is doing to our society and the long term implications of having it infiltrate every aspect of our lives. Especially the arts. This gave me the words. Also the courage to cancel Spotify Premium. My kids are gonna hate it 😅
thank you Cody. yeah, there's both sides of it right? esp for people in professionally creative fields... on one hand, there are the philosophical implications of allowing the acid rain of tech to strip us of that which makes us human, and on the other hand, this is our livelihood, and we have no certainty or guarantees on how this will all shake out. it can be very jarring if we don't have a way of orienting ourselves back towards what our lives and work are really about/for...
also practically, I have heard from a lot of people that there lots of options for transferring playlists and everything in your library to another streaming service. might be a little learning curve for the kids, but yeah, I think it's time for a change.
cheers!
Amen. I’d love to know what you find for alternatives.
might try to add this into a follow-up next week
It pains me because my longest playlist has 467 pieces. My second longest, with completely different songs has 328.
I remember the sheer joy of being able to access all of this music whenever I want, in one little app. Not having to have a physical collection or carry it around (I grew up during the CDs era) I mean how could I even?
And fortunately I’m mostly spared from this issue, for now, since I tend to listen to Classical and Jazz the most. But it’s just so awful that this is happening, that Spotify is doing this….
Thank you for bringing light to this. Subject matter aside, it was a delightful read
hey Renee—there's definitely some sadness for me too... it's like finding out your favorite coffee shop has been paying their baristas worse than every other place in town for the last several years. the upside is that the baristas are transferable! I'll be sharing some practical thoughts tomorrow.
I think AI music is less likely to be passable in Jazz genre, but depending on what kind of classical music you're listening to, there may be some fake artists, AI or otherwise, infiltrating some of those playlists. check these links:
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/763315/pdf?casa_token=bym2F7h0D3wAAAAA:3nxJ-zCQMkiwEzJsfT0537OpeyewwheKZw7KfA-xOYdXhKlNMm89E1GwslE3og6oRuceYL-qTuqD#page=2.28
https://www.reddit.com/r/musicindustry/comments/1ao87z5/spotify_making_their_own_ai_music_under_fake/
I was wrong—this Jazz Piano playlist on Spotify is chock full of either AI-generated music or same artist producing songs under different artist names and the artist & spotify have a non-disclosed deal:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Jazz/comments/1dxj409/is_spotify_using_ai_to_make_fake_jazz_music_to/
worse than I thought :/
thanks for your thoughts and your empathy!
Hey, Zach! Independent artist here. I'm just curious, how are you supporting artists? All I see recently is "AI music is bad for culture," and "AI is stealing from artists," but what's your solution? Are you supporting artists in a way that helps them compete with the AI invasion? How is boycotting spotify better than listening to your favorite artist's catelogue? And why spend an article highlighting several AI bands without mentioning human-made music that is inspiring and creative and good? I'm just trying to promote some critical thought. Your content is really the only sentiment I've seen/read/heard regarding AI music, but never any real artist support.
hey Morgan—I wrote this not planning to write a follow-up. sometimes the unanswered question does more work on a person's mind than the "here's problem + I have the solution" formula.
I'm an independent artist, singer-songwriter, poet (mix engineer, writer, producer, etc). all my skin is in the game.
this article was meant to draw attention to a problem that most people probably aren't aware of, the influx and outsized promotion of AI generated content, and how it is weasling its way into the music world. I plan to publish a follow-up on Wednesday morning.
I invite you to subscribe if you're interested.
peace and blessings in your work in the war of art.
I'm definitely interested in your follow-up. How are you supporting your favorite artists now that you've cancelled spotify?
In tears. I wondered what was going on with the Cageless Birds when I saw that single drop . . . was too naive to realize what it was. "To define art as relationship and communication . . ." The beauty of Jesus was that he demonstrated the entirety of human life as divine art.
Thanks again Zach, I'll be restacking. Would love for you to share your alternatives as well. As someone who makes Spotify playlists as a personal art form (I make one per week, just for myself, and I go all out with the cover art and everything) I'm seriously considering unsubscribing. I would also love to know if you're going to continue releasing your own music on the platform? I'm guessing yes?
Would love to come see you guys in OKC because I adore Jess too. Thanks for all you do!
thank you Rebekah! yeah sometimes platforms make changes that they expect normal users not to see, but cumulatively it really impacts artists
i will share some alternative, what im doing and some recommendations other artists have made sense writing this little article.
peace
Thoughts and feelings that arose while reading this... That question "what are we here for" always brings to mind the Westminster Catechism question "what is the chief end of man?" and the answer "to love God and enjoy Him forever". This article made me want to go grab a catechism and really work through it. Also, I think when we love good music and care for the artists who create it, we are also loving God and learning more about enjoying Him. I am curious what you are doing instead of Spotify? What would you consider a healthy way of streaming music that also supports the musicians that made it?
thanks for sharing your reflections. today I was reading in 1 John about "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." it's not exactly the same vein, but it suggests the same principle you're talking about
I may do a follow-up next week as I've gotten a lot of ideas from others. but I'll say for now that pretty much anything is better than Spotify for artists. I mentioned in another comment:
if half of my listeners changed to tidal and the rest stopped listening entirely, i’d still be better off
here’s a comparison of some of the major streaming services: https://virpp.com/hello/music-streaming-payouts-comparison-a-guide-for-musicians/
but one person buying a shirt or vinyl blows away any comparison to what one person can do with night and day streaming my music
cheers!
I appreciate your clear thinking on this topic. As a music artist, I have been deeply alarmed at how the streaming platforms essentially ride on the subsidy of creators to profit and erase the human voices they supposedly channeled. I have shared similar concerns about AI, ‘Content’, and Intimacy
yes it seems like the rewards are skewing in the wrong direction. if spotify wants to become a bot farm on the creative side and on the stream-farm side, they are beginning to show their true colors. if not, they will need change course. and meanwhile (maybe it’s too soon to tell) we creatives may need to jump ship.
“When the game is rigged, people lose interest in playing.” — Ted Gioia
If the tracks are attributed to a specific artist, how hard can it be for Spotify to only pay that artist for work attributed to them? I am blown away that there's zero identity verification on the platform.
there's supposed to be. I imagine with the amount of real and AI content flooding the platform every day it would be difficult to keep up with. but it shouldn't take as long as it did for the artists to get it taken down. esp since, like you said, these artists are verified. that system seems broken.