Spotify made a move this week that may further dampen future forecasts for traditional record companies and digital distributors, but comes as music to the ears of musicians trying to go the independent route.
With the introduction of its Spotify For Artists program, the streaming giant began granting select unsigned acts the ability to upload their music directly to the platform. In other words, they will not need to go through a gatekeeper or middleman to make their work available to the app’s users.
According to reports, the beta feature is initially being opened up to individuals who’ve already been vetted, but will in time become available to more and more artists who get on through invites delivered via mailing list. Once an applicant has been allowed into the program they will be able to submit projects ahead of scheduled release to give Spotify time to ensure that the music isn’t infringing upon copyright.
Artists will also enjoy having their music monetized, with the platform promising to pay royalties of up to 50 percent net revenue generated. The money will be deposited into each members bank account through Stripe.
“We’ve focused on making the tool easy, flexible and transparent,” Spotify For Artists’ senior product lead, Ken Anoliefo said while discussing the program in an interview with Billboard. “There will be no limit or constraint on how often they can upload. We think that can open up a really interesting creative space for artists to begin sharing their music to their fans on Spotify.”