Maurice Ali

Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7991 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2025 9:22 am Post subject: Buy Songs as Digital Downloads! |
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Buy Songs as Digital Downloads!
By Maurice Ali
FOFSTOCK
FOF Records Inc.
Just a friendly reminder to be kind to any musicians you know or love their music. And by that I mean “buy” their music!
Streaming does not pay. Last year I would wager most musicians that have a social presence made less than a dollar last year. I myself am no real musician - but my little experimental AI song netted me one cent streaming through all platforms. I did no promotion - if I did then probably 15 cents for a year of hassle.
iTunes made us the most money at FOF Records over the years, thousands and thousands of dollars which was peanuts at the time - but little did we realize how bad it would get. Last year brought in the new rules at Spotify that basically killed any royalties for any but the top musicians. The amounts are so small most musicians are too embarrassed to talk about it. FOFSTOCK actually sent a letter to Daniel Ek (CEO of Spotify) and got nowhere. At FOF we still pay out checks that matter, mostly from SOCAN and split it up among the artists. However, if you don’t have a label that gets taken seriously and get SOCAN/ ASCAP payments, then you are back to 15 cents a year.
We are not talking about a living from music. We are talking about humiliating treatment for real craftsmanship by most in the music industry. But there is a way to properly treat the musicians you know and love - and that is through digital downloads.
Vinyl was almost the same as CD sales for 2024 which is interesting until you think about what CDs are doing in 2024. Physical media is no longer popular. But a digital download is possible and sits on your phone or PC or wherever. It is yours for life! Streaming services can do as they wish to your playlist and can take songs and movies away on a whim. But a download is yours forever. Think about that. Best yet the payback on one - one - downloaded song equals or betters a year of streaming on all platforms combined. Just a handful of purchases gives the friend you know or artist who plays at a bar you frequent, a real payment at the end of the year. Sure it’s small - but it’s symbolic - and reaffirms that their music has value.
For myself, I don’t stream, I buy downloads which over the years must be a few thousands of dollars. Songs and movies as downloads or physical media, they are all mine - forever. Even well known acts are actually thrilled and surprised to see their music purchased and on my cellphone. You just have to see the honest look on their face. You just run across them in your day to day life, and you open your phone and show them the actual songs of theirs you paid for - the happiest look on their face - priceless!
Give digital downloads a chance especially local artists you actually know. It makes all the difference to them. Don’t ask me how I know. And - the music is forever with downloads!
Places to download:
iTunes
Bandcamp
Amazon
Lossless Downloads:
Quobuz
Dance Music:
Bleep |
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