In 2022 I stopped uploading my music on streaming platforms. I know, it's very convenient and it's where everybody else has their music as well. It's the way to be seen. But I think that as artists and as human beings there are things that we can and cannot do and there are also things that we will and won't do.

The reality of music streaming platforms has grown into what looks to me like a marketing game. A game designed by people that are not artists themselves and see a chance of making money out of other people's work. Spotify manifests as the only road not to success, but to survival for artists that want to reach an audience. How did we buy into that? One could even say artists are being blackmailed to participate in this scheme: "You're free to stay out of this, but be aware of the consequences it's going to have on your music and your career".

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This is something I've thought about a lot and decided it's something I won't do. Maybe I can do it, although it has been taking a lot of effort and energy to stay visible, present, relevant etc and I wasn't even trying full-on. But even if I can do it, I just won't.

To me it seems quite defeatist to say "there is no other way, I must go with an approach that is absolutely unfair because I know it works". Or at least, it triggers a question that lies deeper: Why am I doing it in the first place?

In everything mentioned above there's nothing that focuses on music making. It's all about the publicity side, the business plan. To me these are separate things. We all have to choose our compromise. I can't afford to be distracted by all the marketing/business things if they take my attention from the music. This would be a perfect paradox, since I'm only in it for the music!

Yes, we all have to do things we don't necessarily like in our lives and in our fields of work.

Yes, I know this is the most convenient way to go after all, but, is it really working for anyone at this point? And if so, at what cost?

No, my opinion is not written in stone. Of course I might change my mind, of course I'm not sure. This whole thing is a new reality and nobody know what the legal or ethical rules around it should be; we're all still figuring it out.

I write this here to say that we should choose our compromise. We should be choosing our way instead of allowing ourselves and our careers to be guided by trends, people and companies that are in it for different reasons.
After years of playing in bands and releasing my own music, I've decided the streaming platform thing is something I won't do. Not now at least. If that means that less people will reach my music, that's really ok!

And, hey!, if you're reading this, it means you were interested or curious enough to check out my website, which proves there are different ways to discover music other than Spotify.

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Cheers!

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Minas