‘I can see a world where Spotify doesn’t exist’: will a new generation of music streaming companies succeed? | Music streaming

The noise round Spotify this yr has been louder than ever, from Liz Pelly’s guide Temper Machine – a biting indictment of the corporate and its alleged practices – to a slew of indie artists leaving the platform resulting from political and moral causes. There was even a current music discussion board in California known as Loss of life to Spotify.So the timing is fortuitous for a rising variety of unbiased streaming and music group platforms, reminiscent of Nina Protocol, Coda, Subvert, Lissen, Vocana, and simply final week a brand new one launched within the UK: Cantilever. “Extra persons are undoubtedly searching for options,” says Nina Protocol’s chief government Mike Pollard. “We strongly consider the way forward for music is unbiased.”Every of the brand new platforms have distinctive identities. Nina Protocol makes use of an open public community, the place artists set their phrases and hold 100% of any income from downloads; the collectively owned Subvert is meant to be an alternative choice to Bandcamp, the place music information are purchased and bought. Cantilever takes inspiration from curated movie streaming platforms reminiscent of Mubi, providing a restricted and rotating variety of albums at a time (at the moment 10, however as much as 30).What unites them is curation, a way of group and an artist-friendly, anti-corporate mannequin. “We expect lots in regards to the dignity of releasing music,” says Pollard. “I don’t suppose these algorithm-driven causes for why one thing’s getting performed are very dignified: are you simply one thing that appears like one thing they already like? An artist might say, ‘one among my songs did nicely on Spotify as a result of it was put in the most well-liked sleep playlist’. However perhaps the five hundred,000 individuals who listened to that observe weren’t even awake! And what number of of these individuals know your identify, care about you or would purchase a ticket to a present?”Cantilever founder Aaron Skates. {Photograph}: Courtesy: Aaron SkatesMany of those new providers even have written articles and editorial, intending to supply contextual deep dives for a extra targeted listening expertise. “It’s like a music journal you possibly can take heed to,” says Cantilever’s Aaron Skates, an ex-record label employee and music author who has launched the streaming platform. Skates has managed to tug in a formidable listing of unbiased labels to work with too, reminiscent of Warp, Ninja Tune, Domino and Beggars Group labels reminiscent of Tough Commerce, 4AD and Matador.By having a smaller roster of artists, it means they obtain more cash. “The pool is way much less diluted,” Skates says. “We’re paying out a most of 30 artists for all subscriber income, versus the 100m tracks on Spotify. Additionally, we pay on a user-centric foundation, so meaning your charge will solely ever go in the direction of the music that you just truly take heed to.” Skates offers me an instance: if Cantilever was to get 10,000 subscribers at £4.99 a month, that may lead to albums on the service receiving £2,000-3,000 every, which he says is “roughly the equal of one million Spotify streams”. (Spotify didn’t reply to a request to remark.)So, is that this all rooted in a revolt in opposition to the large firms? “I’m cautious about saying that it’s anti-Spotify,” says Simon Wheeler, director of business technique at Beggars Group. “Maybe extra a disillusionment with the entire commoditisation of music. There’s all the time a swathe of recent entrants to the market, however there’s extra developing which might be speaking about attempting to offer an alternate. The tone of that dialog has modified.”Wheeler doesn’t view these startups as main competitors, although. “Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, none of them are going anyplace anytime quickly,” he says. “So it’s extra like: let’s try to carry one thing wherein is providing one thing a bit completely different.” Skates echoes this: “Cantilever is just not in any manner aggressive in the direction of present main DSPs [digital service providers],” he says. “It’s a completely completely different factor. I don’t anticipate anyone to cancel their subscription and simply have this – it’s an extra factor that tries to present extra worth that wasn’t there earlier than.”A view of Nina Protocol. {Photograph}: NinaPollard, then again, “can see a world the place Spotify doesn’t exist sooner or later,” he says. “The place individuals realise the choices given to them aren’t those that greatest serve them.” Though the numbers aren’t fairly exhibiting this but, with Spotify revealing an extra 5 million paying subscribers on this yr’s third quarter report, that’s to not say the curiosity in options isn’t rising. The five-person staff at Nina Protocol is struggling to maintain up with inbound curiosity and Skates says regardless of solely launching per week in the past, the curiosity and listener numbers for Cantilever have “surpassed my expectations”.Pollard suggests there’s a wider cultural sea change starting to happen, one which leaves him hopeful of a brighter future for music tradition within the streaming period.“There’s a rising consciousness of how slop-filled all the pieces is getting,” he says. “Persons are wanting a bit of extra management of what they devour.” He offers the instance of customers leaving X, previously Twitter: “They realised, ‘Shit, I don’t should be right here any extra.’ You then perceive what it feels wish to be extra intentional about your decisions, as a substitute of simply being on all the pieces that you just’re informed it’s good to be on to exist. I believe persons are waking up.”