Streaming has shifted a lot of things away from the physical era. In the past, a musician might sell a lot of CDs immediately following a release, but after some time the curve would quickly flatten. It didn’t matter how many times the buyer listened to the CD, the musician only made money once with the sale. In the streaming era, you normally still make the most profit directly after the release, but you continue to make money when your fans listen to your releases even years later. An artist’s catalog has thus increased immensely in value.

Two thirds of the streamed releases are from the catalog

A new study examining streaming numbers in the USA has shown just how important older releases are to musicians. It revealed that in the first quarter of this year, 32% of what people listened to were new releases, while 68% were catalog releases. This is a clear increase compared to 2020 (63.3%) and 2019 (62.8%), which might also have something to do with the rather modest number of blockbuster releases in 2021.

But even if this number is a positive outlier, the fact remains that around two thirds of all songs being played are not new releases. As an artist you should therefore not just focus on your current releases but also continue promoting your catalog. This means regularly posting older songs as well (e.g., on their anniversary) or creating playlists that include both newer and older tracks. It takes quite a bit of work to make as much money as you would from selling one CD.

Many streams for one sale

Let’s assume that in the past, you would make 5 $ from the sale of a CD, while today, you make 3,500 $ for one million streams. That means that the songs in an album would have to be streamed 1,429 times by a single user in order for you to make as much money as you would from a CD. This, of course, will not happen in most cases. On the upside, however, streaming means that there are also people listening to your music who would not have bought a CD.

Advances for your catalog

iGroove has long realised the importance of catalogs. While others might view catalogs as nothing more than a side dish in contract negotiations, iGroove offers advance payments not only for upcoming releases but also for your older ones. You can additionally request a projection of the future revenues garnered from your releases – as an iGroove artist you can even have this data readily available in the app.

As an artist, you are always active on several platforms – from Instagram to TikTok to Spotify – with the goal to keep your current fans updated and leave a good impression on potential new fans. When a new listener gets interested in your music, chances are high that they will type your name into Google. But then you don’t have any control over what’s being shown to them, right? Well, not quite!

Claim your Knowledge Panel

If someone looks up an artist, they will be shown a so-called Knowledge Panel on the right-hand side of the screen. There, they will see images, part of the bio, albums, songs, or tour dates, among others. This Knowledge Panel can be claimed, and once the claim is granted, you have the option to suggest edits.

To make your claim, simply click on the button underneath the Knowledge Panel. In order to do that, you will need a Google account. Then, you will have to prove that you are either the artist or represent the artist. Once you have received the verification, you can also add more users.

Modify the information on the Knowledge Panel

If there is any wrong information displayed on your Knowledge Panel, you can report it to Google.

However, you have to be prepared to wait in line for some time until the changes are implemented. Some users have even reported that their suggestions were ignored completely.

But even though the system still shows some flaws, you should not lose out on gaining at least some control over your presence on the by far most important search engine in the world.

Post updates on your Knowledge Panel

As a verified artist, you additionally have the option to post things such as stories, articles, videos, polls, or events. You can also choose to time these posts and to extend their visibility of from the standard 7 days to 14 days. Your posts will be shown directly in your Knowledge Panel, and you can always look at the statistics to see which posts have done well.

In principle, everyone should take action against fake streams – the artists, the labels, the distributors, and the streaming providers. But in reality, things are a little more complicated, which also explains why fraudulent offers continue to be eagerly accepted but not quite as eagerly removed.

Everyone knows how easy it is to find websites selling streams – a simple Google search will tell you that. Streaming providers are aware of this, too, and do employ people to investigate it, but in the end, they still do not take the necessary measure of actually removing the fake accounts. In the current pro-rata distribution model, fake streams have a direct influence on the royalty payments of every person who goes about their business in an honest way, because their slice of the cake is now smaller.

Labels and streaming services have a conflict of interest

Therefore, all (honest) artists, labels, and distributors should have an interest in putting an end to this fraud that is making them lose money. However, labels and distributors can only ever take action against fraud within their own ranks. But if they do this and others happily continue to commit fraud, they are essentially hurting themselves and are thus stuck in a dilemma between market shares and the fight against fake streams.

Streaming providers are in a similar predicament. They, too, want to continually increase their market share, which is achieved not least through a growing number of users. But if they remove fake accounts, especially those with a premium subscription, they accomplish the exact opposite. They additionally have no real incentive to take any rigorous steps, since it has no influence on their business model if they are also paying for fraudulently generated streams.

Could the user-centric model make a difference?

As a matter of fact, experts agree that a switch could prevent at least a part of the manipulation. However, in an interview with Backstage PRO, data scientist Ruwen Wiemann points out that that this would also lead to non-transparent accounting. The reason is that the payment in a user-centric model would no longer be based on the number of streams. For 1,000 streams, one artist could get 1 Euro while another gets 3 – all without a way of investigating why.

Ruwen Wiemann concludes:

“As long as the solution to the problem is diametrically opposed to the fundamental goals of the parties involved as well as the bonuses attached to them, the only option remaining is to have faith in humanity. In a capitalist world, this usually just leads to honest people getting the dirty end of the stick.”

He advocates foran independent supervisory authority, such associations or collectives in cooperation with universities.

iGroove does not tolerate fake streams

iGroove is determined to take strong actions against fake streams. Using our early warning system, we can immediately spot suspicious numbers and inform our clients. In cases of repeated fraud, the account of the artist will be suspended. When it comes to our revenue projections, fake streams are instantly identified and not counted towards the artist’s projected royalties.

After Spotify recently launched Loud & Clear to bring more transparency into their payments, Apple Music has now also lifted the veil a little in a recent edition of their newsletter. With it, they too want to show musicians in more detail how their revenues come about. What they emphasize in particular is that they pay all their artists exactly the same rate.

While other streaming providers fork out bigger figures to major labels than they do to artists who release their music through independent labels or distributors, Apple Music insists that they use equal rates for everyone. The same applies to publishing rights, regardless of which copyright collective or publisher the artist handles their finances through or which country they are in.

Apple Music pays one cent per stream

The newsletter reports that they take 52% of the generated revenues to pay the labels and distributors for the master rights. This number corresponds to the 50-53% that Spotify disclosed. Assuming that Apple also keeps a third of the revenues for themselves, it means that 14.7% goes to the songwriters and composers for the publishing rights.

While Spotify refrains from revealing any PPS (Pay per Stream) numbers because they vary strongly from country to country, Apple Music is more concrete in their newsletter. They report an average PPS of $0.01, although this number includes both master and publishing rights together. Broken down to the master rights only, this amounts $0.0078 per stream that is paid out to the labels/distributors. For 1 million streams you would therefore get $7,800 – or $10,000 in total if you add the publishing rights. Here you can find our detailed analysis of the payouts per stream of Apple Music.

The newsletter also can’t help throwing a little shade on Spotify. Apple Music explicitly points out that you cannot buy your way into their playlists by accepting lower royalty payments, which applies to their 30,000 curated playlists as well as the personalized and algorithmically created ones. This is a feature that Spotify is currently testing out for personalized suggestions in the US.

More and more artists are cashing in

Last year, Apple Music paid royalties to 5 million artists, which is 1 million more than in 2019. The number of artists who made more than $1 million from master and publishing rights has grown by 120% since 2017 (Spotify shows a growth of 90%). The number of artists who made more than $50,000 has doubled (Spotify: 80%). However, here, Apple Music did not mention any concrete numbers.

User centric not an option for Apple

Additionally, the newsletter comments on other distribution models, specifically the user-centric model. Apple Music’s analysis has apparently shown that a switch to this system would not result in higher pay for music creators. In their opinion, a majority of the revenues would go to only a small number of labels and transparency would decrease significantly. This statement is therefore a clearer rejection of a possible system change than what Spotify has said on the matter.

Through playlists, listeners discover new artists and obviously generate loads and loads of streams. That’s why Spotify keeps emphasizing that everyone has the same chances of getting into a big playlist, regardless of whether they have a contract with a major label or pitched the song themselves. But is this really the case? A recent study has at least cast some doubt on the matter.

Big playlists are almost all from Spotify itself

The assessment shows that the top 100 playlists with the highest number of followers were created almost exclusively by Spotify itself. These 100 playlists combined share 26.8% of the total number of playlist followers. Even if we look at the top 1,000 most popular paylists, 90.6% of them were still put together by Spotify itself. An additional 3.7% come from major labels, while 5.7% were made by other curators. These 1,000 playlists amass almost two thirds of all playlist follows.

Major artists are disproportionately represented in the playlists

Among the top 100 most popular playlists, which all have more than 2 million followers, 81% of the tracks come from major label artists. Among the top 1,000 (all with more than 259k followers), the number is still as high as 77.2%. Even if we consider the top 100,000 playlists, of which two thirds are still created by Spotify, the share of major label artists amounts to 64.6%. This therefore significantly contributes to the fact that 68.9% of all streams on Spotify are ascribed to major label artists.

The analysis therefore clearly highlights a disproportionately high representation of major label artists among the big playlists, most of which are created by Spotify. Another imbalance in distribution is caused by the fact that many of the biggest playlist not created by Spotify belong to the major labels, namely Filtr (Sony), Digster (Universal), and Topsify (Warner), all of which naturally favor their own artists, as well.

Are the majors’ stakes in Spotify to blame?

The study suggests that this might also have something to do with the contracts between Spotify and the three major labels. These include a minimum guarantee, which means that Spotify has to pay a certain fixed amount even if the number of streams needed for it was not reached. One could thus speculate that another reason why Spotify might favor songs by major artists is so that this minimum guarantee does not have to take effect.

Would user-centric provide more balance?

Another interesting theory is that the power of playlists would be lessened by a user-centric distribution model. The reason for this is that playlists are used as background music more often than songs that someone deliberately searched for. If a user consumes a lot of music through playlists, then in the user-centric model, the revenues would be shared among many different musicians. On the other hand, if he/she mostly listens to specifically selected artists, then those would receive a bigger share. In the current model, however, everything is thrown into the same pot, and artists who are featured in big playlists make a disproportionally large profit.

	Top 100 playlists	Top 1,000 playlists	Top 10k playlists	Top 100k playlists
Cumulative share of total follows	26,8%	65,5%	92,7%	99,9%
% Spotify playlists	98%	90,6%	73,9%	68,9%
% Major playlists	1%	3,7%	6,2%	6,4%
% Other playlists	1%	5,7%	19,9%	24,7%
% Major artists	81%	77,2%	77,7%	64,6%

In the last post, we showed you what the so-called master rights entail. In this one, we will focus on the publishing rights. These go to the lyricists/songwriters and composers of a song and are therefore often shared between multiple parties. The revenues generated from publishing rights are forwarded to the artist either via a copyright collective or their distributor if they have a contract with one.

As we have highlighted in another post, the artist receives money when their song, for instance, comes on the radio, gets played in a bar, or is performed in a concert (remember this?). However, many artists forget that streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc. forward a portion of the generated revenues directly to the copyright collective or publisher, as well.

Here’s a concrete example: Let’s assume that Spotify paid 10,000 $ to your distributor for your song. This is therefore your share of the master rights. For the same song, however, Spotify also paid around 3,000 Euros to your copyright collective. If you’re not a member there and don’t have your song registered, you’re missing out on a significant part of the revenues that you are due.

Spotify keeps a third of the generated revenues, around half is paid out to the owners of the master rights, and a decent 13.3-16.6% go to the songwriters and composers. Other sources say that only around 10.5% are paid to the publishers and 52% to the master rights, while a significant 37.5% remains with Spotify. But these numbers are rather difficult to verify.

Spotify	33,3%
Master Rights	50 - 53,3%
Publishing Rights	13,3 - 16,6%

Most of the time there are multiple people involved in the lyrics and composition of a song. You should therefore come to an agreement on the distribution of the revenues well in advance and lodge the document with the copyright collective.

As we have previously shown, you’ll need a lot of streams to be able to live off them. It is therefore all the more important that you make sure to collect every single revenue that you are due.

After Clubhouse has so far been mostly useful for increasing one’s reach and building networks, the social audio app has now launched a way for creators to make money, as well.

Clubhouse continues to fly high, but it’s uncertain whether this will remain the case post-pandemic. Additionally, the competition is gearing up, as well: Spotify has recently acquired the social audio app Locker Room, and as usual, Facebook is jumping on the bandwagon, too, testing their competitive product Hotline. It is therefore clear that Clubhouse needs to offer more to creators.

A first step in this direction is that Clubhouse-users can now tip creators. We are already familiar this feature on various other platforms. However, while most of those keep a portion to themselves, Clubhouse promises that 100% of their tips actually go to creators – a clear sign to show their commitment to them.

Now, every user can give a tip – but for the time being, only a limited test group can receive them. Soon, however, Clubhouse Payments will be available to all creators.

On Twitch, there are gamers who have more than a million dollars coming in every year from such tips. It remains to be seen whether Clubhouse, too, can be an interesting source of income for musicians.

Despite the fact that Clubhouse is still available only for iPhone users and only via invitation, it has so far been downloaded over 8 million times. Even if this number still seems small compared to other platforms, Clubhouse has been valued at around one billion dollars already.

When you record a song, so-called master rights, that is, the rights to the recording, come into play. Besides these, there are also what’s known as publishing rights, which are already generated when the song is written. So, when an artist says that he owns his masters, it means that he has the rights to the recording. Conversely, the publishing rights are in the hands of the lyricists/songwriters and composers of the song. And of course, both of these rights are used to generate revenues.

In this post, we’ll focus on the master rights. To explain it briefly: Let’s assume you put out a cover of a song. That means you have the master rights to it, because it’s a one-time recording made by you. The publishing rights, on the other hand, remain with the writers and composers of the original song. However, if you wrote, composed, and recorded the song yourself, then you own both the master and the publishing rights.

Who owns the master rights?

Before starting the recording process, the master rights should already be settled. Whoever pays for the recording is usually also the one who owns the rights to it. If you and your band record and produce something yourself, you need to decide within the band who gets what share. If you have a producer assisting you and taking the lead on the production, they need to be allotted a share, as well. Only when this has all been settled should you head into the studio.

How much do streaming services pay to master rights holders?

A big part of what streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. pay goes to the owner of the master rights. Spotify has recently revealed that they only keep a third of their profit to themselves. Of the remaining amount, 75-80% goes to the owners of the master rights. Thus, about half of the total revenues are paid out to master rights. This is therefore one of the most important sources of income for musicians.

Spotify	33,3%
Master Rights	50 - 53,3%
Publishing Rights	13,3 - 16,6%

Why do the master rights often belong to the label?

When a label comes into play, the master rights are transferred to it for a certain period of time. Usually, the artist will first get an advance payment and then, once the amount is recouped, they will receive an additional contractually defined share of the revenues generated from the master rights. In many cases, the contract also includes the option to renew the deal and extend it to other new songs that are yet to be released. If the label is involved from the start and covers the entirety of the production costs, it usually retains the master rights in perpetuity.

You are therefore bound to the label and can’t take the release to another label or distributor, because you don’t have the rights to the recording. This is one of the reasons why an increasing number of artists only sign a distribution deal with the label while maintaining their master rights – or they work directly with a distributor like iGroove where they don’t have to give up their rights and can also take their release elsewhere anytime they want.

Labels receive the master rights as compensation for financing and marketing your music. To avoid becoming an artist who complains about no longer owning their masters, you should always have an experienced lawyer with you when negotiating deals. If you don’t have the rights to your

Our goal at iGroove is to help artists make the most out of every single release. In order to do this, you need a good release plan and unfortunately also a little patience. You can’t just throw the album into the market the moment it’s done – you’ll just be wasting a lot of potential that way.

Solid planning can take anywhere between six months and a year, but in exchange chances are higher that your release will get the attention it deserves.

More than three years ago, we showed how such a release planning can look like in a blog post. Since three years is an eternity in the music industry, we have now given the post a 2021 update. For the sake of simplicity, we assume an album release including some singles and video singles for the release planning.

During the production

Provided that you’re not intending to cultivate some sort of intentionally secretive image, it’s important to involve your fans in every step of the process, so that they feel like they’re a part of the whole project. So really, the release plan already starts during production.

Keep your fans updated using pictures from the studio, little videos, first soundbites, or whatever else comes into your mind. Use the various options on social media to do this and don’t focus on one platform only.

This is also the perfect moment to think about which producers you want to work with or whether you need a songwriter on your team.

Plan the release carefully

When the end of the production process is in sight, it’s time to start planning your release in more detail and to settle on an approximate release date.

These 6-12 months of run-up time not only give you more security in planning, but also allow you to focus entirely on what’s important in the deciding months leading up to the release, which is promoting it in the best possible way. Don’t forget to factor in time for unexpected developments, because we can guarantee you, they will come.

Think carefully about which time best suits the vibe of your music and consider other factors as well. In this article we have summarized which months are best for a release.

Our checklist for your release planning

Now let’s get to the checklist for your release plan, which shows you what you need to do at approximately what point in the process. Of course, this is just a rough guideline and no universal rule, so the details will be unique to each artist.

6-12 months before the release

• Draw up a provisional budget
• Settle on the financing (will you be requiring an advance payment or do you want to try crowdfunding?)
• Request grant money and pay attention to the information you need put in
• Draw up a detailed marketing plan (including specific rundown of the promotion on social media and outside of the internet, as well)
• Compile a list of contacts for promotion as well as a media list
• Put together or update your Electronic Press Kit (EPK). Update your bio and write a press release (even in the era of social media, press relations should not be neglected!)
• Find partners for the areas you need assistance in, e.g., management, booking, or PR. Maybe look for a label, as well (although in that case, 6-12 months might be cutting it a bit close)
• If you are going with an independent release, choose the right distributor.
• Plan the tour/organise the release party
• Set up your own website if you don’t have one yet
• Be present on the applicable platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Clubhouse, Triller, etc. and try to get your profile verified on all of them.
• Get the contact info of your fans and compile a list of the e-mail addresses for your newsletter.
• Decide whether you want to release exclusively digitally or physically, as well.
• If there is going to be a CD, vinyl, or tape, find the right pressing plant.
• Will there be merchandise? If so, have it designed, produced and distributed by the right people.
• Get the album and single covers made, as well as all the other graphics related to the release (e.g., banner, social media header, flyer, Canvas for Spotify). Don’t skimp on this – your artwork says almost as much about you as your music.
• Have professional photos taken.
• Where do you get your songs mixed and mastered? Here, too, it’s better to allocate too much time rather than too little, because you might not be satisfied with the first mix right away.
• Which songs would be appropriate to release as a single and when will they come out? Make sure you plan multiple releases – we live in the era of singles!
• Which songs do you want to shoot videos for (and how many can you fit into the budget)?
• Who will you collaborate with when it comes to video clips and do you have any conceptual ideas yet?
• Produce additional video content for the promotional phase.
• Are there any samples that need to be cleared?
• Once you have checked all the points above, you can finally set a release date and put together the exact budget.

3-5 months before the release

• Do you have all the necessary codes (ISCR/EAN/label code, if necessary)?
• To get it crossed off the list, you might as well submit anything else that needs to be registered at a copyright collective
• Shoot videos.
• Once you have the master and the artwork is done, there is no reason to delay pressing/manufacturing any longer. Vinyl pressing plants in particular are extremely busy at the moment.
• If you know of any important magazines that need to be informed further in advance (think of the deadline), approach them now so that you can be featured in the edition that comes out close to your release date.
• It’s now slowly but surely getting serious! Why not reveal the release date of your album now and submit it to your distributor?
• If the release is uploaded to the distributor, then the songs available for instant gratification need to be clearly marked. Don’t forget: All pre-sales count towards the all-important first week in the charts. Thus, a long pre-sale phase gives you a lot of advantages!
• Make sure to set up a pre-save campaign on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.
• Don’t forget about YouTube monetization, as well, so that you can make some money when others upload your music, too.
• Send a newsletter to your fans and make sure they are the first to know about the upcoming release.
• Are the tour dates set? Then you can make them public and start with the ticket pre-sales.
• If you’re also running physical ads (flyers, posters, etc.), put together a street team.
• Is the time ripe for the first single or even the first video clip? Or do you want to get your fans hyped with a free song?
• When you’re releasing the first video, use YouTube premiere to build more excitement.
• Don’t forget to submit your single to your distributor well in advance to make sure it shows up in your fans’ release radar.
• Put together an additional list of independent playlist curators to whom you can send your song.
• Once the first single or clip is released, it’s time for the first media release (generally we recommend sending out at least 3 of these).

6-11 weeks before the release

• By this point at the latest, it’s time for the first single.
• If you had the opportunity to shoot more than one video, this is the latest point by which you should release the first clip!
• In order to reach as many people as possible and win over new fans, you should boost the video, for instance using a pre-roll ad on YouTube.
• By this time, the release date should have been announced. So, your homepage needs to be updated and tailored to the upcoming release, as well. If you want, you can even install a countdown on the website.
• In addition to the website and social media, you shouldn’t forget about your profiles on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon, etc. either. Keep posting updates regularly on these platforms, as well!
• Since hopefully by now there is enough of a hype surrounding the release, you need to build on this. Using re-targeting you can direct advertising specifically to those people who are actually interested – without much marketing waste. Try gathering as much data from your fans as possible, so you can reach them better.
• Start with the production of the physical means of promotion, such as flyers, stickers, or posters.
• Your fanbase now knows that the new album is coming. So, it’s time to start with the pre-sales.
• Inform your fans through your newsletter that they can now pre-order the album.
• Set up a link page, so that you don’t have to keep posting post dozens of links.

1-5 weeks before the release

• The countdown is ticking, which means that when it comes to promotion, you need to fire on all cylinders: Facebook/Instagram, re-targeting, banner, etc.
• In general, you need to regularly put out new content, such as audio snippets, video teasers, and other exclusive material.
• If there is some physical promotional material, it is now time to get those flyers, posters, and stickers distributed.
• This is also the point where you need to get your fans involved. A giveaway or something of the sort would not be amiss.
• By this time at the latest, all your social media profiles and your website need to be ready and synced up with each other.
• A few weeks before the big release comes the moment for a new single and/or video. If need be, upload the video a day before the release of the single, meaning usually a Thursday.
• Approach the media once again with the single/video that you lifted from the album, and send the song to your contact list of independent curators.
• During the week of the release, you need to put out another press release along with your EPK. By then at the latest, all media outlets should have a sample of your music . Try to land as many interviews, reviews, and articles as possible – it means free advertisement for your release!
• On top of traditional media (radio, newspapers, magazines, TV), don’t forget about blogs either. Depending on your style of music, you might even want to consider sending samples to DJs to play at parties, on the radio, or as part of their online sets.

On the day of the release

• The big day is finally here and anyone visiting any of your social media sites should notice this right away.
• Share your excitement with your fans. Your newsletter is one medium through which you can do this and also thank everyone for their pre-orders.
• Still got some money in the war chest? Great, then you should invest in targeted ads, such as an Instagram campaign.
• Did you have the opportunity to shoot more than two videos? Then save one for the day of the release to generate some additional hype.
• Get hammered.

Don’t forget under any circumstances: The planning and promotional phase do not end with the release! You can celebrate on the day of, but then it’s time to get back to work.

After the release

• Your album was a success? Then let everyone know! Post about it on social media and send out a thank-you newsletter as well as a press release.
• To keep the conversation going, it’s well worth it to release another video a few weeks after the release (it can be more than one, of course, if your video inventory is well-stocked).
• Always release a trailer before you put out a video, so you have more material to post.
• Do you have songs that did not make it into the album but meet your quality standards nonetheless? Then you might want to consider releasing them a few weeks or months after the album – either as a free gift to the fans, as a bonus EP, or even as part of a deluxe edition of the album that contains additional songs (this, of course, will also need some planning in advance).
• Another option is to release remixes of some of your songs.
• Try to generally release new material at regular intervals. We are living in the era of singles and shorter attention spans, so you can’t afford to put all your focus on albums only.
• On the whole, remain active on all your platforms and don’t just rest on your laurels – that won’t do in the music industry today!

How iGroove supports you in your release

iGroove can assist you with many of the points in this checklist. We’d be happy to actively support you in planning your release, as well. Make sure to contact us in advance (as we have seen, this means more than half a year before the planned release date).

Musicians have been hit hard by the pandemic, and not just financially, but also in matters pertaining to mental health. On top of the lack of income, there is also a loss of perspective and a huge feeling of insecurity which lie heavily on the mind. According to a British study, 87% of respondents reported a decline of their mental health over the course of the pandemic.

Lack of perspective and financial worries

91% think the reason for this is the current and continuing uncertainty surrounding their music careers. 96% wonder how they can keep making a living in the future, 70% of those don’t even know how to financially survive the next 6 months, and 24% are considering a career change. This research is consistent with a survey conducted among musicians in Berlin, of which a third responded that they will have to find a different job or have already done so.

Considering that the business is generally very competitive, mental health problems have always been prevalent among musicians. Now, corona has only made it worse. A similar study has already shown in 2016 that 71% of musicians suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, while 68% have or had depression.

How to deal with the situation

Here are some suggestions that might help you cope with the situation:

• Talk about it – whether with friends, with other musicians, or with a professional. That way, you might also gain some different perspectives.
• You are not alone – if nothing else, this study has demonstrated that many others are fighting the same problems.
• Maintain your routine or develop a new one. Make sure your daily schedule includes different activities.
• Pay attention to your physical health: Go outside, exercise, get enough sleep but not too much, try to eat healthy, and don’t overdo it with the alcohol. Listen to what your body is telling you!
• Make plans. It certainly won’t be easy, but try to draft up and take on new projects. Set realistic goals for yourself.
• Remind yourself that things will go back to normal in the foreseeable future. You are still a musician and soon enough you will be able to show that on stage, as well.

More and more artists are celebrating major successes without major labels, and many are now seen leaving big record companies. We’ll show you what advantages come with being an independent artist.

Major labels are still a big force, no question about it. Last year, the music industry made a profit of 23.1 billion dollars worldwide, 65.5% percent of which went to major labels. However, this share has been steadily declining; back in 2019, it was 66.5%. A similar situation can be observed at Spotify, where the portion of stream revenues that went to major labels dropped from 70.3% to 68.9% between 2019 and 2020. And yet, major labels continue to enjoy an abundance of power and, above all, financial resources.

Indie instead of major

Nevertheless, more and more artists are either staying on the independent route or leaving the major labels. We’re not just talking about smaller artists either, but also an increasing number of those that any major label would jump at the opportunity to sign. What drives established artists to leave the cemented structures and financial resources of major labels to work with a distributor instead?

• Rights to the music: When working with a major label, you have to give up the rights to your music for a certain (or even undetermined) period of time. However, when you’re with a distributor, you maintain those rights in your own hands.
• Flexibility: You’re usually tied to a major label over multiple years or releases. But when you make a release via an independent distributor, you can switch anytime.
• Cuts: Depending on the distributor, you only have to hand over a small percentage of your revenues or pay a fixed amount per release.
• Of course, you won’t get the same services as you would from a major label. But you can decide for yourself how much, for instance, you want to spend on promotion, marketing, etc. As an artist, you can put together the types of services yourself and don’t have to resort to the full package that the major labels offer.
• Transparency: With most distributors, you have a detailed inside look into the numbers and trends. This way, you gain a better overview of your finances and can plan more confidently.
• Regular payments: While some major labels only pay their artists every couple of months, independent distributors normally credit the amount in question to your account every month.
• Last but not least, you have full artistic freedom. Unlike with a major label, nobody will be butting into your creative process when you’re working with a distributor.

At iGroove, you have the additional benefit of being able to request an advance payment, just like you can at a major label – but again, without being forced to make a long-term commitment.

Additionally, you can request advances for older releases, for which major labels often apply a flatrate that is much too low a compensation. Furthermore, at iGroove you can get a reliable projection of your future revenues. This gives you the ability to plan your next steps and make better business decisions as an artist.

Conclusion

Many young musicians dream of a major deal. But more and more established artists who are already surrounded by a good team have realized that without a major label, they will not only become more independent but can also increase their revenues. There seems to be no better time than now to remain independent. If you have an offer on the table from a major company, you should definitely check first whether you can’t get a better deal elsewhere.t.

It is commonly known that there are a multitude of untrustworthy offers circulating in the music market. So why do so many artists still fall for them anyway? It’s a mixture between a lack of knowledge, the belief in shortcuts, and scammers’ slick exploitation of the artist’s pressure points.

The streaming era has ushered in entirely new possibilities for fraud. In many other posts we have already reported on why fake streams are damaging more than anything and how you can spot suspicious offers and playlists. But why do artists, whether unknowingly or on purpose, still make use of these music promotion offers?

Know your business

A musician’s budget is already small enough as it is, so you shouldn’t invest it in fraudulent offers. Nonetheless, many people still do, and there are many reasons why. For one, a lot of musicians don’t do enough research into the workings of the music industry. Additionally, many believe in shortcuts and in buying your way to success. Last, but certainly not least, scammers know exactly what worries and concerns artists have and exploit them mercilessly.

Nowadays, it is very easy to release music and thus have some sort of music career. But it takes more than that, namely a certain level of knowledge about what goes on in the music business (spreading this knowledge is the goal of our magazine). If you aren’t interested in acquiring this information yourself, invite someone into your team who is either willing to do it or is already bringing sufficient knowledge with them.

Shortcuts lead to a dead end

As an artist, you want as big of a reach as possible and a solid fanbase – preferably now. But a music career is a marathon, not a sprint. There are hardly any artists who became stars completely out of nowhere. Just because you’ve never heard of an artist before, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t worked for years to get to this point. Patience is not only a virtue but a must. There are so few shortcuts in the music industry that don’t lead you down a dead-end road.

Scammers know your pressure points

At the beginning, many musicians simply don’t have that many streams and listeners. The scammers know this and claim to have the end-all solution to the problem, all the while keeping only their own profit in mind. It’s how they get musicians to accept offers that they should know from the beginning not to be legitimate. Most of the time, these scammers unfortunately only do genuine marketing for their own business.

Conclusion

All things considered, it is clear that you should never buy a fixed number of streams or followers. It is equally impossible to buy your way into the official playlists of streaming providers – whoever says it is, is a scammer. Likewise, you should be careful when it comes to playlist placements, promotion offers on social media, or paid placements in blogs.

If you see an offer that seems almost too good to be true or extremely cheap, it should set alarm bells ringing. Before booking anything, you should take time for some thorough research. Additionally, ask the company critical questions when you see something suspicious or don’t understand the process entirely. Using some precautions, you can avoid falling for fraudulent tricks that are not sustainable and will only harm your career.