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If it were an article that simply was a link to a cool band that would be different. The article sets itself up as click bait claiming to be "the future music"

If it were an article that simply was a link to a cool band that would be different. The article sets itself up as click bait claiming to be "the future music" and making the absurd suggestion that we will all soon be getting our music from random Geocities sites. It's akin to the claim that we will all soon be getting all our calories from home produced organic food. As a marketing stunt for one or two bands it's great but it doesn't solve the issue of distribution and monetisation that most artists have. One has been able to buy CD's direct from band sites since ever. The only notable thing in the article is the mention of "Geocities" which seems to be a trigger word around here for the golden days of never were.

jnovek 2y ago
The impression I got from the article is that some bands are experimenting with different distribution media because they’re not happy with the discoverability or pay from the big names like Spotify. The bit about it being the “future” is mad hyperbole but, I dunno, I think it’s kinda interesting that people are experimenting with distribution methods that they control. One of the things that frustrates me about the modern web is that it’s become such a monoculture dominated by these giant vendors like Spotify and Meta. It’s pretty rad to see people say “no” to that. I don’t know if it’s an experiment that will work beyond Cindy Lee (it reminds me of Radiohead’s “pay what you want” distribution of In Rainbows which didn’t really work for anyone else) but I’m glad they tried. Also re Geocities: It triggers some rose-tinted nostalgia for some of us in a certain age range. E.g. for me I learned HTML as a teenager in the late 90s so I could put up my own sites on Geocities. It was a formative part of my career in tech. It was definitely a mess, though.
- IncreasePosts 2y ago
  Upset about discover ability and pay...so choose a method that is undiscoverable and no built in method for payment
- stubish 2y ago
  I can't see it working for many artists. As more artists go for high friction distribution, that sheen of exclusivity gets lost and that little hit of endorphins you got by making a little bit of effort stops happening. Consumers will stay where they have more than enough good music to listen to; there are only so many hours in the day after all and it is a buyers market, even most of the niche ones.

jnovek 2y ago

The impression I got from the article is that some bands are experimenting with different distribution media because they’re not happy with the discoverability or pay from the big names like Spotify. The bit about it being the “future” is mad hyperbole but, I dunno, I think it’s kinda interesting that people are experimenting with distribution methods that they control. One of the things that frustrates me about the modern web is that it’s become such a monoculture dominated by these giant vendors like Spotify and Meta. It’s pretty rad to see people say “no” to that. I don’t know if it’s an experiment that will work beyond Cindy Lee (it reminds me of Radiohead’s “pay what you want” distribution of In Rainbows which didn’t really work for anyone else) but I’m glad they tried. Also re Geocities: It triggers some rose-tinted nostalgia for some of us in a certain age range. E.g. for me I learned HTML as a teenager in the late 90s so I could put up my own sites on Geocities. It was a formative part of my career in tech. It was definitely a mess, though.

IncreasePosts 2y ago
Upset about discover ability and pay...so choose a method that is undiscoverable and no built in method for payment
stubish 2y ago
I can't see it working for many artists. As more artists go for high friction distribution, that sheen of exclusivity gets lost and that little hit of endorphins you got by making a little bit of effort stops happening. Consumers will stay where they have more than enough good music to listen to; there are only so many hours in the day after all and it is a buyers market, even most of the niche ones.