indie artist struggle

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Music Business/ Understanding Decentralized Music Industry

The Hidden Cost of Centralized Streaming: How Platforms Like Spotify Hurt Indie Artists

Richard L'Hommedieu algorithm bias, artist empowerment, audius, blockchain music, breaking the music system, DAOs for musicians, decentralized music, fair pay for musicians, fan-owned music, future of music industry, indie artist struggle, music exposé, music industry corruption, music industry reform, music royalty transparency, music streaming injustice, music streaming problems, NFT albums, NFT music, payola in streaming, shadow banning, smart contracts, Spotify alternatives, Spotify monopoly, Spotify royalties, support indie artists, Web3 Music Platforms 0 Comments July 30, 2025

The article discusses the detrimental effects of centralized music streaming platforms like Spotify on indie artists. It highlights issues such as unequal algorithmic exposure, low royalties, and pay-to-play practices that undermine musicians’ visibility and income. Emerging decentralized platforms using blockchain technology offer fairer compensation, closer artist-fan relationships, and a more equitable music industry.

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.