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I distribute my music through CDBaby, and looking at transaction history I've been getting $3.65 per thousand streams. That's not nothing, and is much higher th

by jefftk 4y ago

I distribute my music through CDBaby, and looking at transaction history I've been getting $3.65 per thousand streams. That's not nothing, and is much higher than I'd get from radio. Spotify is taking in a lot of money and paying 70% to labels, which adds up to a lot of money for artists depending on their agreement with their label/distributor. But the per stream rate is still very low because there are trillions of songs streamed annually.

happymellon 4y ago
I'm sorry, I don't want to sound dense but I'm not clear what your point is. Are you saying that CD Baby is a better distribution technique than standard labels because you get good margins? I didn't know CD Baby until I just looked them up but they appear to be a distributor, so your $3.65 metric is still being paid by Spotify/Amazon/Apple. Please correct me if I'm wrong but that is much higher than the normal published numbers by 10-100x. Is this an RIAA moment where labels are trying to make other people look like jerks rather than accepting what they do, or are people using the "per 1000 streams" poorly because they will always look worse on successful platforms?
- pessimizer 4y ago
  The point is that 1/3 cents a play isn't a lot. Argue against that claim if you like, but engage with it instead of using weird rhetoric to avoid it.
  - happymellon 4y ago
    I don't think that was the point that anyone was making. In fact Jefftk has stated the exact opposite to your position.
- jefftk 4y ago
  > that is much higher than the normal published numbers by 10-100x. $3.65 per thousand is at the low end of what I see elsewhere. For example https://twostorymelody.com/spotify-pay-per-stream/ https://twostorymelody.com/spotify-pay-per-stream/ has $3-$5 per thousand. > I'm not clear what your point is. I think the distribution of streaming revenues is generally reasonably fair, and people who say things like "Spotify pays artists nothing" are confused about either (a) how much money there is to divide up or (b) where it is going.
  - happymellon 4y ago
    You are right on those numbers, I miscounted when I looked at those numbers. I'm glad that there is someone creative on here that can educate and confirm.

by jefftk 4y ago

happymellon 4y ago

I'm sorry, I don't want to sound dense but I'm not clear what your point is. Are you saying that CD Baby is a better distribution technique than standard labels because you get good margins? I didn't know CD Baby until I just looked them up but they appear to be a distributor, so your $3.65 metric is still being paid by Spotify/Amazon/Apple. Please correct me if I'm wrong but that is much higher than the normal published numbers by 10-100x. Is this an RIAA moment where labels are trying to make other people look like jerks rather than accepting what they do, or are people using the "per 1000 streams" poorly because they will always look worse on successful platforms?

pessimizer 4y ago
The point is that 1/3 cents a play isn't a lot. Argue against that claim if you like, but engage with it instead of using weird rhetoric to avoid it.
- happymellon 4y ago
  I don't think that was the point that anyone was making. In fact Jefftk has stated the exact opposite to your position.
jefftk 4y ago
> that is much higher than the normal published numbers by 10-100x. $3.65 per thousand is at the low end of what I see elsewhere. For example https://twostorymelody.com/spotify-pay-per-stream/ https://twostorymelody.com/spotify-pay-per-stream/ has $3-$5 per thousand. > I'm not clear what your point is. I think the distribution of streaming revenues is generally reasonably fair, and people who say things like "Spotify pays artists nothing" are confused about either (a) how much money there is to divide up or (b) where it is going.
- happymellon 4y ago
  You are right on those numbers, I miscounted when I looked at those numbers. I'm glad that there is someone creative on here that can educate and confirm.