I started this series out with how Spotify could be better. That first post brought me a lot but most of all it brought me in contact with Jonathan Oudekerk, the founder of SmartLabel, and now I very see clearly how my first blog sparked his interest.

Bashing Spotify is, admittedly, not the most progressive topic to start talking about when starting a blog about music and Web3 because, if you dig a little, it very very easy. And talking to people like Francesco Robustelli and many others about the topic convinced me that it’s not all bad. For him specifically and his lovely named project Trippin Jaguar it put his music out there and into the ears of promotors who would have never thought of booking him if they hadn’t heard him on Spotify. That’s great and I might have jumped the gun a little there but the point is still valid. They could do better.

But I see them as a lost cause. They are tangled up in the web of old structures and money that has too much influence over what direction they can take to really make a difference. Which is okay. They still serve a lot of people with their musical needs. They’re just on the way out.

Moving in, I believe, is SmartLabel and I have the incredible honour to work with these guys to help them build the streaming service that Spotify could have been. That not only promises to do good for music artists but will deliver. Where the artist is in control of the music that they make and is empowered to make the most of their art. Where you can sell your royalties to get money on the bank on release not when your PRO has figured out where you’ve been played. And it’s just easy for everyone to understand and take control.

Curious to know more? Send me a message and I’ll bring you in contact!