You Need Some Trusted Barometers
The input of other humans you trust is one of the most valuable things you can have on this Earth. You cannot be swayed by the random opinions of buttholes on the internet, but you also can’t be one of those “I only answer to God” people. The input of the humans you trust should be central to how you move in this world.
Why am I bringing this up? Because Neil Young should be one of those artists for Spotify. Is Neil Young always right? Hell no! Has Neil Young generally aimed towards improving the world, raising money for good causes and pushing the best artists on the planet to be better and do better? Yes. Does Spotify not realize that cool points can cost you some money sometimes? Spotify is decidedly not cool. Have you looked at the playlists on Tidal? They are better programmed, with better names, with better artwork and with a musician’s touch. It really does feel different. I’m a current subscriber to Spotify, it is integrated into my family’s life, across our speaker systems et cetera. I pinch my nose and send Spotify way more money per month than they send me through royalties. But, they clearly have gotten too big to follow their trusted barometers. If you are trying to be the biggest, most universal music service in the world you have to listen to people like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. They come from a generation that doesn’t push as many streams as younger generations but they have the respect of their peers. Spotify’s claim to fame was getting all the music. They got the Beatles, they got Pink Floyd. They got all the bands that were reluctant about streaming. And now they are losing them to appease a single cash cow. No doubt, Rogan will make Spotify more money in the next year than Young will make them in the next twenty-five. But they aren’t looking at barometric nature of an artist like Neil telling your service to go fuck itself. And they aren’t looking at the fact that Warner Bros. will ride with Neil on this. And Joni’s label is riding on it too. They don’t have to. They could stay loyal to Spotify, who has lined the major label pockets for years with piles of money that the indies aren’t getting. But I think the major labels are, contrary to what we all say all the time, willing to play the long game for some artists.
So Spotify, you need to listen. I’m not saying you need to move. You might look at your business and realize that appeasing Joe Rogan is more important than being able to advertise yourself as having an almost complete collection of recorded music in your collection. You might not be risking your cash cow, but you’re risking your brand identity. If your catalog starts to get Swiss cheesed by the artists with morals, you’re gonna keep losing subscribers. But Neil Young’s disapproval should be a red flag, get the team together and make sure you’re making the right decision. To me it seems like you’re playing a short game which is never a good move for a company that has employees. You’ve got yachts to buy, small time musicians to screw over, dumb playlists to secretly profit from, you ready to lose all of that over what is clearly already a middling stance re: COVID19 misinformation.
I’d like to shout out some of my barometers. A good barometer is frustrating cause they tell you the truth or at least their take when the others in your circle aren’t.
Peter Leggett - Peter’s the drummer in Heiruspecs. Peter is also in charge of press for Mayor Melvin Carter. In my music work with Peter he can often deliver a lot of nos. He’ll look at a pretty well constructed beat and tear the whole thing apart. He will tear stuff down to the studs long after the rest of the band is planning an arrangement. But Peter won’t let bad stuff get out of the door. Peter will make sure it meets his standards. If Peter is liking it, I know it’s good. If Peter isn’t, I know it isn’t, even if I disagree with him in the moment.
I-Self Devine - I Self Devine is an elder statesman in the Twin Cities music scene. He has a history that goes back to the mid-80s as a visual artist and as an emcee. We aren’t particularly close but we’ve worked together a number of times and have spent time socially as well. A couple times he’s gone out of his way to let me know his negative thoughts about some way or another that I was moving within the hip-hop scene. The critique was always clear but was never absolute. But I knew that whatever I was doing was at least worth reevaluating if it wasn’t sitting right with him. Did I always change my plan after his guidance? No. But I always massaged it, always reevaluated it. I just don’t believe Spotify is doing that with Neil & Joni.
Derrick Stevens - Derrick is the production manager at the Current. If you make a mistake or are coming up short on something he’s got no problem letting you know. If you are doing incredible work, he’s got no problem letting you know. That’s the barometer I’m looking for, someone who will give you an honest read on where you’re at with something. The compliments I’ve received from Derrick mean so much to me because I’ve gotten the sober, clear critiques as well. God bless a barometer.
You have to ignore these barometers sometimes. I want to be doubly clear about that. You do have to chart your own course, but you need those trusted advisors, the circle that you believe in. And man, if Neil Young isn’t in that circle, and you’re trying to be the biggest music service on Planet Earth, you need some new barometers. If you’ve lost touch with your barometers you need to think about why. Imagine going back time-machine style to a meeting with the managers of Spotify in 2010: “you’ve lost access to the catalog of Neil Young because you paid $100 million to the guy from Fear Factor to do a podcast and he frequently questions the safety of a life-saving vaccine for a global pandemic”.
*I’m not taking Heiruspecs’ music or my own music down from Heiruspecs. I have a couple reasons.
1: I have no idea how the rest of the band feels about this stuff.
2: I actually think Spotify might get their shit straight about this and taking music off and back on of streaming service is expensive
3: I do believe Spotify has the right to support Joe Rogan over legendary artists with high morals. I feel a clear mandate to walk as a consumer, but I feel more conflicted as an artist, I surrender my spot on this platform because of other providers on the platform? I am working on my views there.