blockchain music industry

ChatGPT Image Apr 26, 2025, 06_42_36 PM copy

Future of the Music Business/ Marketing/ Music Business

Spotify’s Discovery Mode: The New Payola Hurting Indie Artists

Richard L'Hommedieu Artist Direct Payment, Audius Music Platform, blockchain music industry, Blockchain Music Streaming, decentralized music platforms, Decentralized Music Revolution, Discovery Mode Criticism, Indie Artist Advocacy, Indie Artist Streaming Income, Indie Music Industry, music industry transparency, Music Platform Accountability, Music Streaming Alternatives, Music Streaming Royalty Rates, Spotify Algorithm Manipulation, Spotify Artist Income, Spotify Discovery Mode, Spotify Music Industry Criticism, Spotify Payola, Streaming Platform Exploitation, Web3 Music Platforms May 7, 2025

Spotify’s Discovery Mode has emerged as a modern equivalent to payola, allowing artists to receive algorithmic boosts at the cost of reduced royalties. This model disadvantages indie artists by prioritizing wealthier labels and sacrificing income for visibility. Decentralized platforms may offer a fairer alternative, ensuring artists maintain control and direct compensation.

Apr 23, 2025, 08_50_26 PM copy

Future of the Music Business/ Music Business

How Universal Music Group and Spotify Rewrote the Rules—At the Expense of Indie Artists

Richard L'Hommedieu 1000 stream minimum, artist compensation, artist exploitation, artist-centric model, Black Sheep lawsuit, blockchain music industry, decentralized music platforms, digital music economy, fair pay for musicians, indie artist pay, indie artist struggle, major label profits, music industry lawsuits, music industry reform, music streaming ethics, royalty transparency, Spotify, Spotify equity deal, Spotify royalty changes, Spotify UMG criticism, streaming inequality, streaming platform bias, streaming threshold, UMG, UMG Spotify partnership, Universal Music Group May 2, 2025

In late 2023, Spotify’s new royalty policy requires tracks to hit 1,000 annual streams to earn royalties, favoring major labels like Universal Music Group (UMG) over independent artists. This shift compromises fair compensation, promoting profit over equity and sidelining emerging musicians, while decentralized platforms offer potential for fairer artist rewards.