Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists?
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
@elifyalvac What do you mean, worth? Should I keep it for myself? I rather give it away for free.
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@elifyalvac I agree with so many other points here about doing it for yourself and also doing it to help create the world you want to live in.
That said, I have also realized that for myself, not worrying about releasing things in the way they used to be released can be extremely freeing. Meaning, if I don't want to keep working on something until it's completely spit-and-polished and I just want to release it on my YouTube channel or wherever, I can do that and that's okay.
I think now that we have learned that Spotify & Co are pretty much useless for niche music, and also now that AI is about to supersede mainstream music, we as musicians can allow ourselves to be free and do what we want.
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I think now that we have learned that Spotify & Co are pretty much useless for niche music, and also now that AI is about to supersede mainstream music, we as musicians can allow ourselves to be free and do what we want.
@nielso @alisynthesis @elifyalvac Regarding AI "music", I think it is worth watching Adam Neely's take: https://youtu.be/U8dcFhF0Dlk?si=jD6Kxm-CXqFSJ6l2
AI music might fork from real music, like movies forked from theater. So real music will still exist, like theater still exist. But today theater and movies are seen as different things.
I am not sure how I feel about that.
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
@elifyalvac if you're releasing it just to share it so people can listen to it : YES absolutely !!
If you're releasing it with the goal of getting rich : no forget that immediately (and you're making music for the wrong reasons anyway)
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@nielso @alisynthesis @elifyalvac Regarding AI "music", I think it is worth watching Adam Neely's take: https://youtu.be/U8dcFhF0Dlk?si=jD6Kxm-CXqFSJ6l2
AI music might fork from real music, like movies forked from theater. So real music will still exist, like theater still exist. But today theater and movies are seen as different things.
I am not sure how I feel about that.
@liebach @alisynthesis @elifyalvac
Real music always will exist. No matter what AI will do.
Real musicians have to face the fact that the idea of the noughties' Internet, in which everbody had a chance to be heard and to make it somewhere, has been killed by streaming. So basically, we are in the 90ties gain, but having replaced labels as gatekeepers by streaming services.
First, Spotify decided not to pay for 80% of their streams (which are those tracks with less than 1000 plays per month), now AI slop muzak aims at replacing the remaining mainstreamy 20%. Esssentially, the aim seems to be 100% revenue for the Tech Bros, 0% for musicians.
Yet, real music always will exists. It will need to establish other ways of distribution, if we want it to be heard.
One issue that I don't know to solve is that there is no middle ground any more. Like 10 years ago, a lesser-known artist could reach break-even of a CD production by selling CDs on tour. Now there's no CDs no more…
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@elifyalvac if you're releasing it just to share it so people can listen to it : YES absolutely !!
If you're releasing it with the goal of getting rich : no forget that immediately (and you're making music for the wrong reasons anyway)
@thaell the 2nd reason would be ridiculous
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
Regarding the question if it is worth to still release…
… I'd say yes. It's worth to be out there, on platforms like Bandcamp or Mirlo or similar.
As far as I am concerned as a listener, I need to take the time and find the muse to really listen. One of the releases I have listened to a couple of times now is “Sediments” – yet you don't see that, because it happens on my computer, because I downloaded it from Bandcamp.
So, in terms of providing something valuable to at least a few listeners… perhaps even enable them to experience feelings they wouldn't discovere in their souls otherwise: Yes, releasing music makes sense.
As others said, it's also of pesonal use, like installing a milestone of your personal musical development that you can refer to later.
Yet, if one wants to go for a lot of attention (which is a goods of its own theses days) or even money, it probably doesn't make sense any more these days.
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
@elifyalvac my perspective would be any and all visible ‘events’ for experimental arts, especially local based, raises visibility for everyone - & becomes harder to ignore - in a Britain where anything non-mainstream has become untouchable and anything difficult to pigeon hole is regarded with deep suspicion, or uh ignored, arts that challenge rather than impose hegemonic values, or offer complexity in medium / message rather than homogenous packages; are struggling somewhat.
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
@elifyalvac The more we produce and work together to promote and work together to produce the more chances there are that we can sidle into general consciousness….
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@elifyalvac It's a valid question, imo! Prior to finding Mastodon, I was reaching a point a few years ago where it felt it wasn't worth it - the psychological cost of investing so much in something, knowing it was likely to land in an overloaded void. The paradox of hating to ask people to do anything / to listen - with [strangely] wanting to share. It felt better to just make tracks and send them to a few friends. No disappointment that way (apart from when even they couldn't be bothered to listen.
) You don’t want to impose on anyone; you don’t want to self-advertise - yet the work itself seems to say it wants to meet listeners.It should perhaps be talked about more, I think, how dispiriting or even traumatic it can be to put out music. (I wrote more about how I felt back then on a forum: https://rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/319131-feeling-like-a-failure/ ) Some people I think are going through that and aren't even admitting it to themselves - they're keeping up something of a picture of success, but cracks are showing. One artist I know eventually had a breakdown over it. Someone could judge that, given other suffering going on, but it is a strange place to navigate psychologically for many sensitive souls. (They didn't want fame or accolades; just the barest acknowledgment.)
It changed with me due to health issues (and other things, including encouragement from certain folks here) - and the basic realisation that it is probably still better to share than not to, in case the albums work for others. I had also seen a fair few people [suddenly] drop dead in recent years - and as mentioned, had my own scares (not to get heavy!)
- so there's been a stronger sense of urgency to...actually get to see the music come out. Music as a willing to life, too. Even if some outwardly “bigger" possibilities suggested themselves earlier on in music life, I've killed (or am trying to kill) any set expectations of anything specific happening; the bare fact of it being available, should anyone care to engage, in itself tips it to "worth it." 
@Cognessence I can’t view your post in that forum. I guess I need to create an account, which I’ll do in a bit
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Release music on old media first. CD/cassette/vinyl. In that way there is Proof Of Life. It's physical evidence that your music was released before it was copied endlessly. There are different copyright jurisdictions, and each one operates by a different rule set.
@tootkoTootarov @Binder I don’t think everyone can afford that. If you can, yes it definitely makes sense. CD especially.
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@elifyalvac What do you mean, worth? Should I keep it for myself? I rather give it away for free.
@dereisenhofer What did you understand from the question? Making it available for free or keeping it to yourself is not related to each other. Approximately 99,000 to 120,000 are released every day.
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@elifyalvac releasing music before the internet was also difficult and thankless, and you were lucky to get it heard. The music scene on the fedi is rich and vibrant and supportive. Check out @nham, #bonkwave, @TheIndieBeat + bandwagon.fm, @audiointerface, @strim, @TIBtv and others. A lot of places to hear great DIY indie music, and to be heard.
@sknob Yeah cheers, I am already aware of some of them. Especially Nham. Cheers
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@elifyalvac sharing music is actively participating in the community and culture you want to exist in this life.
@c_reider It is a way of bonding
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@Cognessence I can’t view your post in that forum. I guess I need to create an account, which I’ll do in a bit
@elifyalvac Oh, sorry - I didn’t realise it was not publicly viewable! Maybe they’ve changed this since I last shared it, because in the past when I gave the link it worked.
Hope it isn’t too much trouble! Thanks for the great thread.
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@elifyalvac sharing music is actively participating in the community and culture you want to exist in this life.
@c_reider @elifyalvac yeah this is how I think about releasing things too
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@dereisenhofer What did you understand from the question? Making it available for free or keeping it to yourself is not related to each other. Approximately 99,000 to 120,000 are released every day.
@elifyalvac I didn't understand what you mean with "worth". I make stuff and I give it away for free rather than keeping it to myself until it makes me money.
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@elifyalvac I didn't understand what you mean with "worth". I make stuff and I give it away for free rather than keeping it to myself until it makes me money.
@dereisenhofer “worth” has nothing to do with making money there. Realistically DIY artists don’t earn money through music. I added further notes about the question so please feel free to read this https://tldr.nettime.org/@elifyalvac/116136835344390621
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Is it still worth releasing music for DIY/independent artists? Why?
I don’t have a yes or no answer yet. I’m questioning… if you have an answer please can you explain it? Thanks!
@elifyalvac the only music I've listened to or purchased in the last few years has been from indies on the Fediverse. Many of them are now my pocket friends and some even recognise me (with or without dread) if they have a launch or listen party live stream. Music is no longer a parasocial experience for me.
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@elifyalvac the only music I've listened to or purchased in the last few years has been from indies on the Fediverse. Many of them are now my pocket friends and some even recognise me (with or without dread) if they have a launch or listen party live stream. Music is no longer a parasocial experience for me.
@wordsmith This is a great insight because how we experience music has changed dramatically. Here is a great place for bonding through music, going beyond the bs they keep broadcasting on other channels
