Though it may aim to become ubiquitous with music consumption, Spotify is quickly becoming a dirty word with musicians and artists. With the news that The Black Keys have joined the likes of Coldplay in restricting their content on the streaming service, it could be time for all artists to reassess how they use the service.
It is tempting to click every box when submitting your product for digital distribution, no one wants to miss the opportunity to reach new fans, but in reality it may not prove to be your most beneficial decision. When you are in control of your content, it is important to know its value, and to keep an eye on how the rest of the world values it.
With the introduction of apps, Spotify is working to provide a more accessible music discovery service. Perhaps this is how the creators of the content itself should also view the inclusion of their music – as a means of discovery to something more, not merely as an outlet for their complete catalog.
Tim Schaaff, president of Sony Entertainment Network, recently quipped that Spotify’s shelf life could resemble that of Myspace. Indeed, a musicians use of Spotify could quickly resemble how they used Myspace during the sites glory days – plugging into the service as a place to showcase their prime tracks on offer and little else musically.
The best artists become successful because they harness the ability to draw people into their world. Spotify's limited interface is very much foreign territory, especially with no outside links or ability to provide even a simple artist photo. Surely there is no incentive for artists wanting to grow a fanbase to actually provide more then a few tracks. There is certainly no direct economic advantage. In fact the similarity to the damaging effects of piracy seems glaringly obvious.
Spotify may well be financially beneficial those at the top of the musical food chain. However, it is important that independent artists – the ones not in the line of Spotify's monetary fire – make a conscious effort to share their music sparingly. Sure, we all want the world to hear our latest release, but if the listeners are not prepared to explore outside the world of Spotify, they will probably be satisfied with the two or three tracks you are prepared to give them.
This post is by regular Hypebot contributor Robin Davey, Head of Music and Film Development at GROWVision. Follow him on twitter @mr_robin_davey
