A recent report from the RIAA revealed that the only area of the music industry experiencing steady growth in 2015 is streaming, which has no doubt been aided by the launch of high profile services like Apple Music. The rise of music streaming services has vastly simplified the music consumption process for anyone with an internet connection, but as the members of Intronaut recently revealed the streaming age still has its shortcomings.
Writing to fans from their official Facebook in advance of their new album release, the members of Intronaut took a rather transparent approach to addressing the pros and cons of music streaming services. They wrote:
Six months of streaming royalties = $3.67. Fuck you, Spotify.
If you care to support Intronaut, preorders for digital and physical copies of our record will be up on Friday! We love you guys and can’t wait to see you on the road this fall!
In all honesty, I think every member of this band uses Spotify because it is incredibly convenient. I think we just want you to know that it would help us a whole lot if you folks actually bought our album and came to a show, if you’re interested in supporting us and enabling us to keep coming around to your city.
This message isn’t all that different from the open letters written by other artists to their fans on the topic of streaming over the past year, but there is an inherent sincerity that really gives Intronaut’s words added depth. The fact they acknowledge they too use these services is important, as they reinforce the idea the band does not look down on anyone who does rely on streaming services to enjoy their music. The band wishes more people would buy albums, and they are certainly urging fans to do so, but they also understand that purchasing new music regularly is not something every one of their fans is able to do. Recognizing the fact streaming is perhaps the only way some people are able to enjoy their music tells us Intronaut are not against the idea of streaming, just the way streaming royalties work, and that is where the true problems lie.
How many more posts like this will we have to see before change happens?
