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So, a little while ago, Spotify removed all my music except "Solstice Carol" under the bogus guise of "fraud prevention." The claim is that I knowingly submitted my music to a fraudulent or "pay for play" playlist. To be clear, I have never submitted my music to ANY playlist except the one sponsored by my aggregator. I have certainly never paid for one. Spotify created their own playlist hell, and expect musicians to police it for them - i.e., if someone playlists my song, I'm supposed to be able to sniff out whether or not they're "legit" in the eyes of Spotify. "Interesting" details: shortly before this happened, I had questioned Spotify about certain play tracking details. Also, the only song they left up is the one that is most playlisted, and was the only one making any money under the guidelines that began in April. Another song, however, had just met the payment threshold, and another was about to cross, when the boom was lowered. Does this happen to any musicians in the top 3%? Hell, no. However, it has happened to several others in the just-over the payment zone. You know, the little guys they can make an example of to pretend some kind of diligence. So, I'm asking you again, if you care about musicians at all, to leave the Spotify behind, and do you listening elsewhere. You'll probably get better sound quality in the bargain! More uplifting news soon. peace, t Delete the Death Star!  So, going into 2024, the discussion again turns to streaming, specifically to the big green elephant in the room…In the name of “fraud prevention,” Spotify is not going to pay for streams on any track that receives below a certain threshold of monthly plays. Estimates are that this will demonitize anywhere from 70 to 90% of all tracks on the platform for any given month, depending on whose math you use and how they’re counting. Basically, they’re taking money away from the little guy and funneling it up to the big guy, which is why the record companies are all happy about this move. More money for the top 40 (and to prop up Spotify itself, since it’s never actually made money), less for the independent artist (in my case, I’ll get paid for one track, two months out of the year, which is, sadly, more than a lot of people will be getting).
Now, a moment’s thought reveals the “fraud prevention” excuse to be pretty threadbare. Who is going to go to the trouble, and legal risk, of garnering plays through illicit means for the meager sum paid for tracks that fall below the limit? What it comes down to is that Spotify, and the big labels, will make more by stealing from folks like me (what else would you call making money off someone’s music and paying them nothing for it?). And don’t even bring up songwriting royalties – for streaming, they’re next to nonexistent. So, why am I telling you all this? Not so you’ll feel sorry for me, or anyone else, but to encourage you to make thoughtful choices about how you’ll listen in the coming year. First, no streaming platform pays much. That’s just not how it works. But most platforms at least pay, and, to your benefit, many have better sound quality than Spotify. Tidal has nearly all the same content, at the same price, and much higher resolution. If you’re interested in music only, Qobuz is another choice that offers better audio than the big green ball. Subscribe to YouTube Premium? You already have YouTube Music at no additional cost. Amazon Prime? Yup, Amazon Music. Then there’s the whole Apple ecosystem…You get the idea – choices abound that at least don’t completely stiff the little guy, and can offer you a better listening experience to boot. Streaming isn’t going away. I use it, too. It’s a great way to check out new and unfamiliar music, look up songs for students, and so on. The days of free-form FM radio being long, long gone, there aren’t many ways to hear something new and different at a minimal cost. However, when I find someone whose music I like, I find ways to send something extra their way – either by buying a CD (I still like to listen to albums, after all) or merch from their website or attached vendor, or via subscription or patronage. And that’s a path I hope you’ll consider, as well. None of the people you like are going to see much return from one person’s streaming, no matter how loyal you are. What I’m proposing to you, then, is a New Year’s Resolution – if you’re going to stream, please stream with a thought to how the platform treats both you, the listener, in terms of sound quality; and the musicians who pour themselves into the content. Find ways to give an extra boost to your favorite creators – even a kind word goes a long way, but it doesn’t pay for aggregation, or equipment, or web hosting, or…No unfair system was ever changed by a shrug of the shoulders. But if enough people become aware, and care, things can get better for everyone. Thanks for listening! Peace, t Hellooo! A lot going on these days, but up front for now are two big sales -
Today (September 2) is a Bandcamp Friday, meaning they waive their share of sales to help musicians get just that little bit further ahead (less behind...!), and...now through the end of the year, all CDs are discounted in a big way - as tracking gets going on the next one, gotta make room! Stocking stuffer prices on all three current releases, so now's the time to stock up on gifts or complete your own collection! theislen.bandcamp.com On top of that, the Labor Day Merch Sale continues over at theislen.threadless.com - regular tees are $14.95, everything else discounted through 9/5. We've gifted the shirts, mugs and stickers to others (and ourselves) and can honestly say that they're great-looking, high-quality stuff, so grab some! So, as mentioned, as soon as I finish beginning of September chores, tracking gets serious on the next release, to be titled "Theres and Thens." Not quite a "concept album," but these songs fit together well, and it's going to be a good ride for the ears as some interesting characters tell their stories. Watch this space! Streaming practice times continue on twitch.tv/theislenmusic - and this month there are discounted subscriptions, which is revenue that goes straight to creators without being dependent on click-related ad revenue. So, while a hundred followers would be nice, a group of dedicated subscribers would be even better! Remember, you can watch/listen to saved streams any time at twitch.tv/theislenmusic ! Thanks as always for listening - please add a favorite song to a playlist, share with a friend, and be in touch if you have a question or a thought to share - we love hearing from you! Heads high - how we move through these strange days shapes the future! peace, t Happy New Year! - and what a mess the last one was!
Here's to better things ahead - but for now, it's a continuing state of adaptation. With the current state of pandemic (can we just say "plague?") affairs, live shows are still off the table for me, unless a special circumstance arises: I have to think not of only of my own health, but my family and students as well. Too much risky behavior going on out there! So, streaming will continue (though I'm taking a couple of days off for end/beginning of year duties and general catch-up), and I'll be upgrading the apparatus (to borrow a quote from my favorite episode of "The Tick") and moving into multi-platform streams, a little more instagram presence, etc., as well as getting well and truly into tracking the next release. Which begs a question: if I were to get more into YouTube, what other sorts of content would you click in to see? December was my best month ever for streaming, on the back of "Solstice Carol," which somehow keeps being discovered. Nevertheless, the numbers there are still small - I appreciate every play, and especially playlistings, but also remember the best way to support musicians in the present moment is still directly, via CD, download, and merch sales; and communities such as Patreon, where you'll get free music, other perks, and more insight into the process. (On the CD front, holiday sale prices are good through tomorrow night - i.e., the end of Christmas season proper. First merch sale of the New Year starts Friday). So, please tune into streaming, watch for news of other events, and stay safe out there! Thanks as always for listening! peace, t  Just in time for stocking stuffer plans, the merch store is finally open!
We have a variety of shirts, as well as mugs, stickers, and buttons featuring the cover artwork from "Bend" and "High Mileage." Everything is specially priced through December 7, so order now for best price and to be sure to get it in time. Thanks!  The new album is finally out! Available in the store and all over the interwebs, so please do check it out...Patrons have been following this process for a while, and really have made the whole thing possible through their ongoing support. If you like this one, please consider joining their ranks to help the next one not take so long!
Also, there is a single, "Vector," which is available, at least for now, only through the store - a little pandemic postcard, with profits benefiting the North Texas Food Bank. And, while live performance is mostly not happening, I'm practicing live on twitch Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10am Central time. Please drop by, and say hello in the chat. peace, t Realizing, shamefacedly, that I've ignored this page while getting a lot of other things going over the last year and a half.
Mainly, a real live Patreon page us up and running. Here's the deal - a buck a month gets you a song download a month and keeps me pushing the record button. Yes, there are other tiers, and monthly posts about the songs, but that's the core of it. I don't know if direct support is the future of creator support, but with compensation from other sources being what it is (and isn't, including honest, honestly), I'm certainly seeing it as the present. The page is a great way to stay in touch and gain insight into the music - and patrons get to give me insight on how to make it better as we go. Please visit and consider signing on. Social media wise, with all of facebook's problems, I'm trying to put a little more focus on Instagram for music-oriented things (I'm a little more political on twitter because, well, it's twitter - by all means follow if you're inclined in that direction). The big thing in the works is the next release, to be titled "Bend." Songs are written, basic tracks for most recorded (see the Patreon page for demos often comprising same). It's very much concerned with getting through the present state of the world - trying to get as much time/energy as possible mustered to finish it (see Patreon). It will be followed by a shorter release of various songs that haven't really fit in anywhere else, but are still worthy of a life beyond occasional set list appearances (again, see Patreon feed for examples). Toward those ends, High Mileage and Demonstrator will be massively reduced in price at the store through the end of 2019. Grab them stocking stuffers now. And that's what's up - thanks for stopping by, and, as always, for listening. peace, t It's January all right, and like a lot of you, I'm sick. Actually I've had some form of low-grade yuck of one form or another on and off throughout the Fall and Winter, but last weekend, following a somewhat stuffy-headed performance, I got slammed hard. No flu, thankfully, but many of the symptoms thanks to a sinus infection best described as "massive" (though "brontosaurian" also comes to mind, as in "I feel like I got run over by one..."). So, I've had to shut it all down for several days, which means I'm not really in any shape to launch anything. The Patreon and all that will go with are still on the way, just moved back until things like "welcome messages that actually look welcoming" are a possibility.
My thanks to all at Rosalind Coffee Company last Saturday - it was actually a pretty good show, if I may (except when my throat tried to seize up during "Certainty" near the end), and to everyone who hosted or attended at show in 2017 - had us some real good times, we did! Thank you all for listening, and now, for your patience! I'll have various scrambles of catching up (at a measured pace) over the next couple of weeks, but that which is on the way will be in mix, and I will have definite everythings for you very soon. Meanwhile, stay warm, stay hydrated, stay (or get) well! peace, t A quick update to share the news that the recordings are once again spashed all over the interwebs, with big thanks to the new aggregators, who are very cool, efficient, and we all hope will retain their present configuration for a long time to come! (To avoid jinixing the whole mess, they remain nameless here, but if you're looking for help in this area, drop me a note and I'll send you the info!)
The 20% discount for "full discography" downloads over at the store remains in effect through Memorial Day, so now's the time to grab those files... Thanks for your patience through this hiccup - I promise to not make it an annual event! peace, t |
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