Phrasly vs Rephrasy

Streaming has allowed for a shift in economics for independent musicians. Allowing less barriers to entry for the cost of distributing your music but a higher risk of failure based on number of plays.

In the past if you wanted to sell your music physically you had to pay an exorbitant amount to have it manufactured and distributed to stores. There were also very limited amounts of shelf space available to small indie artists. Now companies like DistroKid and TuneCore let you pay a small amount of money to be distributed on all streaming platforms world wide.

As there is lower amounts of money paid out to each artist there are much lower rates when it comes to how you're paid per play. Most if not all streaming platforms operate on a prorated scale. Which can range anywhere from .003 to .005 cents per play. So its almost impossible for someone who doesn't have large amounts of followers or advertisement budget to make money off of your recorded music.

It now takes millions of plays to match the income of having 100's of people buy your records physically. Recorded music has turned into just another way to advertise yourself as an artist and hope that those people buy something from you. Whether it be going to see you perform live or purchasing merchandise/sync etc. There are so many ways for an artist to profit off of their name and followers today.

Streaming has allowed for more music to reach more people and create an income from what used to not be a viable business for small indie artists.

Streaming has almost completely disrupted the traditional mechanisms of music distribution. Yet, the benefits to this shift are fairly one-sided and not as attractive to labels.

For decades, the cost of duplication, distribution and mass promotion of physical recordings rendered the mainstream music industry an almost impenetrable hierarchy controlled by a handful of major labels. Today, technology has shifted the power balance in the industry, making it possible for artists to record, distribute and directly engage listeners without the financial and legal backing of a major record label.

But the streaming revolution was also fraught: Streaming royaltities, which are often just a fraction of a cent per play, leaves smaller musicians reliant on touring, ticket sales, and other merchandise to financially sustain their craft. Success requires an in-depth understanding of digital marketing, social media branding, and video production — all complex skills outside the scope of music theory or performance. Without the networks and marketing apparatus that corporate labels provide for their stable of recording artists, most smaller musicians struggle to make a living off of streaming alone, forcing many to work other jobs in order to survive.

As a result, many releases find themselves competing for a low share of an already small part of a massive industry, or trying to find alternative ways to monetize their records to make a profit. Touring, merchandise and other forms of complementary content are all possible strategies for artists looking to extend the life of a record and further support it through multiple opportunities.

In the end, the greatest promise of streaming platforms for indie music proved to be the wrong one. It has created a paradox: More people than ever are consuming independent music, but streaming has dramatically narrowed how much money is funneled back into music production.