Feel a bit guilty for not having done this earlier, but I’ve finally cancelled my Spotify subscription. This was prompted in part by this recent interview with Spotify’s CEO, which paints a pretty bleak picture about how they see the future of the music industry. It feels important to find ways to directly support artists, given that they’re some of those hardest hit by lockdown (and that music is one of the things that keeps me sane).

I wasn’t using Spotify that much anymore, so I doubt I’ll miss it. I usually just listen to NTS, which recently launched a Supporters network.

Listen to these

Some of my favourite NTS shows are:

• Maria Somerville
• Questing with Zakia
• Post Geography
• Perfect Sound Forever
• Are You Before
• Uline Catalog
• Sounds of the Dawn
• Luke Mele
• Moony Habits

Aside from that, I’m going to keep building my Bandcamp library, and maybe also try Resonate, a music streaming service and platform co-op that values fairness and control.

Hyperlinks

• Listen to This, an Arena channel of my favourite songs and mixes
• Mat Dryhurst often discusses alternatives to major labels and streaming platforms, on Twitter as well as on Interdependence, the podcast he co-hosts with Holly Herndon.