Trust, Scale, and the Economy of Music Delivery: Respecting Artists and Ensuring Long-Term Viability

Without realising it, the systems we use to deliver our music may reflect more than just our listening habits; they may also reveal a lot about what we value and how we sustain creativity. Scale versus intimacy, convenience versus quality, and centralisation versus decentralisation—these are the tensions that shape not only how music is consumed but how it survives. Spotify the quintessential centralised platform, offers global access and algorithmic curation but with a huge trade-off: it comes at the expense of the creators, producers, and communities that underpin the music ecosystem.

On the other hand, format-based systems like vinyl and CD represent a fundamentally different approach. Physical media prioritises direct economic returns to the creative economy, helping to shape a more equitable and sustainable model. Meanwhile, platforms like ForePlai.com (and Bandcamp) are fully focused on carving out a middle ground. By leveraging technological innovation, they aim to balance accessibility with sustainability, ensuring music retains its inherent value. This spectrum of systems—from commoditised streaming to intentional, format-first models—captures the fundamental economic and cultural stakes that will define the future of music.

Centralised Systems: The Economics of Extraction

Spotify’s dominance is built on centralisation, and its economic structure reflects this. By pooling the world’s music into a single platform, Spotify achieves unmatched reach and convenience. Yet beneath its seamless user experience, powered by Bayesian statistical modelling and AI-driven machine learning, lies a model of extraction—one that thrives in a distorted market reality. Over time, we have grown accustomed to this type of music delivery system, largely because of the inherent ease of access. Inadvertently, society has been sleepwalking into this present state, devaluing music as an artistic and cultural proposition worth meaningful investment. Without healthy competition - and collective pressure for change from consumer-side to challenge this dominance - the market has stagnated, leaving artists and the broader creative economy to bear the costs of a system that prioritises convenience over fairness and quantity over quality.

The pay-per-stream formula disproportionately benefits Spotify and its shareholders, alongside a small number of major rights holders. Independent artists and smaller labels see minimal returns, earning fractions of a penny per stream. This level of critical imbalance centralises the music economy within the platform, eroding the broader creative ecosystem that sustains the industry. For the sake of balance, Spotify is by no means the only platform grappling with these fundamental issues, but it is undoubtedly the most successful example.

The ripple effects are significant. Production, manufacturing, and playback communities—once integral to the music economy—are sidelined in favour of a model that prioritises digital streams over physical experiences. Record stores, independent venues, and even the manufacturing of high-fidelity playback equipment are diminished by this extraction-first model. Shareholders profit at the expense of artists, producers, and the creative economy, which, in-turn, suffers from systemic underinvestment.

As a result, music itself becomes commoditised. Algorithms dictate what is heard, prioritising engagement metrics over quality, while artists are left to compete for pennies in a system designed to maximise platform profits. The long-term viability of such an approach is deeply, questionable, as it undermines the very foundation of creativity it relies on. And alarmingly, the slide toward AI-generated 'muzak' is now an undeniable reality.

Decentralised Systems: A Return to Optimised Value

By contrast, format-based systems like vinyl and CD preserve a more equitable economic relationship between artists and their audiences. When a listener buys a record or CD, the transaction directly supports the creators and the surrounding ecosystem. These purchases are direct investments in music’s sustainability.

Beyond pure sonic performance, physical formats offer far superior returns on investment to the creator economy compared to streaming. A single vinyl sale can generate more revenue for an artist than thousands of streams combined. This model not only benefits the artist directly but also supports the broader ecosystem—independent record stores, production facilities, and even playback manufacturers—all of which contribute to a diverse and thriving music economy.

Innovative platforms like ForePlai.com and Bandcamp are extending these principles into the digital realm. scott truitt Vicky Froyen, PhD and the team at foreplai prioritise direct artist-fan relationships, empowering creators to retain control over their work while ensuring fair revenue distribution. Similarly, Bandcamp bridges the gap between digital accessibility and economic fairness by enabling artists to sell music, merchandise, and exclusive content, encouraging deeper engagement and support from their audiences

In my humble opinion, decentralised and hybrid models are built on trust and mutual respect. They recognise that music is not a commodity to be extracted but a cultural good that thrives when its creators and ecosystems are valued.

The Post-Lockdown Pivot: Valuing the Physical and the Meaningful

As I’ve written many times before, both in previous articles and at www.theartofslowdown.com, lockdown was a moment of profound societal reflection. Isolated from physical connection, people turned to music as a vital source of comfort and meaning. The pandemic reminded us of the importance of touch, tactility, and sensory engagement—fundamental aspects of what it means to be human—qualities that digital platforms had so often overlooked.

But, this shift is part of a much broader societal pivot. Vinyl sales have surged in recent years, alongside a renewed interest in CDs and other physical formats. Consumers are seeking out experiences that feel real and tangible, moving away from the commoditisation of the digital age towards something more human. These changes resonate deeply with the ethos of The Art of Slowdown, which advocates for intentional, meaningful engagement over the relentless pace of hyper-digitalisation.

The Spectrum of Solutions: Hybrid Models for a Sustainable Future

As stated already, the future of music delivery exists along a spectrum. At one extreme, centralised platforms like Spotify offer unparalleled scale but often undermine the creator economy. At the other, decentralised systems such as vinyl and CD deliver superior economic outcomes yet face inherent scalability challenges. Platforms like Foreplai and Bandcamp illustrate the potential of hybrid models that merge the strengths of both approaches, balancing accessibility with fairness and sustainability.

ForePlai’s focus on technological innovation and direct artist support intentionally balances accessibility with long-term sustainability. Similarly, Bandcamp blends digital convenience with fair economic returns, allowing fans to engage deeply with their favourite artists while supporting them directly. These platforms show that it is possible to create systems that respect music’s cultural and economic value without sacrificing reach.

Looking ahead, hybrid solutions could further integrate physical and digital experiences. Vinyl releases could be paired with exclusive digital content (and not just MP3 download links), while even platforms like Spotify could introduce mechanisms for direct fan-to-artist contributions. These models would allow music to retain its inherent good—its ability to connect, move, and inspire—while supporting the ecosystems that make it possible.

Conclusion: Towards a Balanced Music Economy

And so, the systems we choose to support shape not only how we consume music but also how it endures. Centralised platforms like Spotify prioritise scale and convenience, but this comes at a significant cost to the broader creative economy. Their model consolidates revenue while undermining the livelihoods of artists, producers, manufacturers, and playback communities, creating a system that feels fundamentally unsustainable. Spotify was once a beacon of innovation, but it now operates more like a ruthless machine of extraction.

By contrast, format-first solutions like vinyl and CD, alongside pro-artist platforms such as ForePlai.com and Bandcamp, offer a more balanced approach. They optimise economic returns to the creator economy while developing meaningful connections between artists and audiences. After all, music is far more than a commoditised product, it is a cultural language that enriches our lives and deserves to be cherished.

The post-lockdown world has made the need for change unmistakably clear. As society shifts away from the commoditised and fleeting, there is a growing rediscovery of physicality, connection, and sustainability. Music is no longer seen as merely a backdrop; it is reclaiming its rightful place as a cultural keystone, thriving on tangible and meaningful engagement.

I believe that we, as music fans and members of the wider industry, can embrace both physical formats and hybrid models—combining the expansive reach of digital platforms with the richness of intentional interaction. By doing so, we can create a balanced music ecosystem that honours artistry and creativity, builds community from the ground up, and ensures long-term sustainability.

This ethos is central to The Art of Slowdown. We need to rethink not just how we consume music, but how we value it. Music has always had the power to unite, inspire, and sustain, and now, perhaps more than ever, the systems that we build must reflect this reality.

Convenience alone is no longer enough; the time has come to prioritise music itself.