Is a another world possible? We're exploring ways to build a new music platform. We'd love for you to get involved. A call to arms! but first, a simple 5 min questionnaire :)
I'm not entirely convinced that a new platform is going to change anything — not in our lifetimes anyway. The slow, long-form game of commodifying of music, art, and other creative outlets is what has "destroyed" the arts (or more accurately, distorting our perspectives on the arts). Noticing that Spotify is the problem is like being a passenger on the Titanic and looking at the iceberg as being the problem, when in reality there were numerous decisions made along the way that led to the inevitable sinking of the ship.
Metaphorically the iceberg arose out of an extremely interconnected and complex set of circumstances — between the greed of commercial empires and our insatiable hunger for more as consumers, we all contributed to this reality, a reality that cannot so easily be undone. At our core we have an unquenchable thirst for more things, more possessions, more entertainment rooted from an evolutionary desire for comfort and an aversion to suffering (even suffering boredom). Big businesses with deep pockets take advantage of that primal desire for more and further manipulate us into buying things we don't need, subscriptions to keep us distracted, and divisive environments to keep the illusion of an "enemy", an "other" on the other side of that wall.
I think if a "solution" is to be found to the arts epidemic we find ourselves in, it's not going to be found in one more invention, one more system, one more plan. Counter-intuitively, I am inclined to think that the solution is less — to want less, desire less, embrace simplicity, and have a much more broad and honest perspective on how our consumerism (and at its root, desire) is at the heart of the problem.
As consumers, we want more music for less. We want cheap entertainment. We will pay handily to not be bored, to not have to sit alone with our thoughts for more than 60 seconds. Corporations know this, and out of that has arisen our current consumerist landscape of endless apps, endless options for music and other forms of entertainment, and other possibilities to satiate us in our boredom.
As musicians and artists, I am inclined to think that we've forgotten about that flow state, about the joy of creating as being the reward, valuing the process over the results. We've grafted into the arts numerous capitalist concepts, corporate values, and have pandered to the whims and shifting sands of consumerist mindsets. And it's all entirely unnecessary.
If you're looking for a solution to the problem we've created collectively, go lock yourself in a room by yourself — paint, draw, make the music you like or want to hear, make beautiful handcrafted things that bring you delight — and revel in the joy of making, of simply creating. There's no system needed. There's no need for metrics, or popularity, or chasing after inclusion in some arbitrary playlist that someone else put together. There's no need for chasing after the affection, validation, and admiration **of complete strangers**. Your joy and your peace comes from the simple act of being and doing.
So just some grist for the mill — there are plenty of people with opinions that would suggest otherwise, but I can't help but ask the question "why do we need more _______? How about less? Can we be happy, content, fulfilled with less?" And the answer, at least found in my experience, is a resounding _YES_.
I agree with most of what you've said, and would point you to a few things I've already written on here that may help provide a response to them.
1. My first ever post on ASOF asked the question 'why even release this music in the first place?' - which is a question that continues to drive forward my thinking and the jury is still out.
2. My post on 'Coping Strategies for Creatives' also agrees fully with your point on the precedence of the creative act- the flow state / process etc being the highest point in this whole process - no amount of validation/affection etc of strangers can beat it.
3. My post on 'Patient Listening' agrees with some of the things you've touched on too re: commodifying of music. I also touch on this with 'Music - Art, Science or Utility?'
4. I've said before but I accept wasn't clear above - I don't think Spotify is really to blame entirely, it gives consumers what it wants - a music experience they are prepared to pay something for. If it didn't exist, piracy would perhaps still be rampant so I credit them with that. But this new wave of criticism shouldn't be ignored too, as their recent business moves aren't a step in the right direction imo.
5. My intention with the ecosystem I'm considering is whether it can be done with a small, organic, community-based approach - not competing with Spotify or the big platforms. I don't think going back to completely analogue ways of doing things is the answer though - new tech can be a force for good if used right, and I happen to be in a position to explore this. However, you may be completely right and the whole thing could end up being pointless, at which point I'll back to creating for my sake alone. Let's see.
PS. I don't expect you to have read everything on this site!
Love this idea. Filling in form now!
I'm not entirely convinced that a new platform is going to change anything — not in our lifetimes anyway. The slow, long-form game of commodifying of music, art, and other creative outlets is what has "destroyed" the arts (or more accurately, distorting our perspectives on the arts). Noticing that Spotify is the problem is like being a passenger on the Titanic and looking at the iceberg as being the problem, when in reality there were numerous decisions made along the way that led to the inevitable sinking of the ship.
Metaphorically the iceberg arose out of an extremely interconnected and complex set of circumstances — between the greed of commercial empires and our insatiable hunger for more as consumers, we all contributed to this reality, a reality that cannot so easily be undone. At our core we have an unquenchable thirst for more things, more possessions, more entertainment rooted from an evolutionary desire for comfort and an aversion to suffering (even suffering boredom). Big businesses with deep pockets take advantage of that primal desire for more and further manipulate us into buying things we don't need, subscriptions to keep us distracted, and divisive environments to keep the illusion of an "enemy", an "other" on the other side of that wall.
I think if a "solution" is to be found to the arts epidemic we find ourselves in, it's not going to be found in one more invention, one more system, one more plan. Counter-intuitively, I am inclined to think that the solution is less — to want less, desire less, embrace simplicity, and have a much more broad and honest perspective on how our consumerism (and at its root, desire) is at the heart of the problem.
As consumers, we want more music for less. We want cheap entertainment. We will pay handily to not be bored, to not have to sit alone with our thoughts for more than 60 seconds. Corporations know this, and out of that has arisen our current consumerist landscape of endless apps, endless options for music and other forms of entertainment, and other possibilities to satiate us in our boredom.
As musicians and artists, I am inclined to think that we've forgotten about that flow state, about the joy of creating as being the reward, valuing the process over the results. We've grafted into the arts numerous capitalist concepts, corporate values, and have pandered to the whims and shifting sands of consumerist mindsets. And it's all entirely unnecessary.
If you're looking for a solution to the problem we've created collectively, go lock yourself in a room by yourself — paint, draw, make the music you like or want to hear, make beautiful handcrafted things that bring you delight — and revel in the joy of making, of simply creating. There's no system needed. There's no need for metrics, or popularity, or chasing after inclusion in some arbitrary playlist that someone else put together. There's no need for chasing after the affection, validation, and admiration **of complete strangers**. Your joy and your peace comes from the simple act of being and doing.
So just some grist for the mill — there are plenty of people with opinions that would suggest otherwise, but I can't help but ask the question "why do we need more _______? How about less? Can we be happy, content, fulfilled with less?" And the answer, at least found in my experience, is a resounding _YES_.
Thanks for taking the time to write this.
I agree with most of what you've said, and would point you to a few things I've already written on here that may help provide a response to them.
1. My first ever post on ASOF asked the question 'why even release this music in the first place?' - which is a question that continues to drive forward my thinking and the jury is still out.
2. My post on 'Coping Strategies for Creatives' also agrees fully with your point on the precedence of the creative act- the flow state / process etc being the highest point in this whole process - no amount of validation/affection etc of strangers can beat it.
3. My post on 'Patient Listening' agrees with some of the things you've touched on too re: commodifying of music. I also touch on this with 'Music - Art, Science or Utility?'
4. I've said before but I accept wasn't clear above - I don't think Spotify is really to blame entirely, it gives consumers what it wants - a music experience they are prepared to pay something for. If it didn't exist, piracy would perhaps still be rampant so I credit them with that. But this new wave of criticism shouldn't be ignored too, as their recent business moves aren't a step in the right direction imo.
5. My intention with the ecosystem I'm considering is whether it can be done with a small, organic, community-based approach - not competing with Spotify or the big platforms. I don't think going back to completely analogue ways of doing things is the answer though - new tech can be a force for good if used right, and I happen to be in a position to explore this. However, you may be completely right and the whole thing could end up being pointless, at which point I'll back to creating for my sake alone. Let's see.
PS. I don't expect you to have read everything on this site!