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Rethinking Music Streaming: Should Listening Time = Payout Time?

🎧 Rethinking Music Streaming: Payouts and User-Centric Systems

I recently posted a question online asking what one thing people would change about music streaming services, and I've received some really insightful responses! I know we all have issues with streaming services, and I wanted to talk about some of the suggestions I received.

In the vlog, I discuss a response that proposed a change to how artists' plays are counted:

  • The Suggestion: Payouts should be based on the amount of time spent listening to a track or album, rather than just the total number of clicks or plays.
  • Example: This idea suggests that a longer piece of music, like a 15-minute concept track, shouldn't generate the same payout as an album composed of multiple shorter tracks that add up to the same total listening time. In short, a 10-minute song should potentially earn more monetization than a 3-minute song, based on the dedicated listening time.

User-Centric Payment Systems (UCPS)

This concept is a shift towards a User-Centric Payment System (UCPS). This system would prioritize the time dedicated to listening, moving away from a passive "click-based" model.

(Related Post: Music Streaming: Why 3rd Party Distributors?)

I asked a few open questions in the video about this:

  • Gaming the System: Could a time-based system be easily manipulated for people to take advantage of and game the system?
  • Defining Interest: Should the debate also consider "time spent" or "time interest" beyond just raw listening time?
  • Affiliate Comparison: I brought up the concept of the Amazon affiliate model, where if an artist sparks interest that leads a listener to spend time with other music, they get credit for bringing the user into that space.

This whole concept is about a potential direct shift of power from the platform to the listener/indie artist.

What Do You Think?

I don't have the answers, but I want to start the discussion! I'm specifically focused on the streaming services right now—not downloads or platforms like Bandcamp.

  • Do you think a User-Centric Payment System (UCPS) based on listening time is a good idea, a bad idea, or just "meh"?
  • How would you define and divide the payout for an artist's popular "parity spike"?

I'll be compiling more responses for future videos! If you want to stay up to date on this discussion, be sure to subscribe to my email list!

Join the project and give your input

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Location: Madison, WI, USA

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