All too often, I want to listen to a song, only to find it removed or deleted. I see it all the time, and it has me puzzled as to why. As a musician, I've certainly felt embarrassed by my earlier work, but I've never gone as far as to purposefully remove my past catalog. To this day you can still view my very first youtube video, and all my content through the years.
And of course, I've heard all the excuses.
"It's not my sound anymore."
"It didn't perform well."
"I'm not proud of it anymore."
Let's take a band like Bring Me The Horizon for example. An underground metal band turned pop rock.
Did they delete their past music because it doesn't align with the band's current direction?
Do they hide their awful-sounding debut album?
At one point in time that record SOLD, and gave them the platform that began their career.
And as streaming platforms came to fruition, that album found a second life, with a staggering 60+ Million streams on Spotify alone.
Own your music, because you loved it at one point.
Here are some potential consequences of removing your music:
1. Loss of Exposure: Streaming platforms provide a global reach and allow your music to be discovered by a wide audience. By deleting your music, you may lose the opportunity to gain new fans and build a larger following. This can hinder your chances of getting noticed by industry professionals, such as record labels, agents, or promoters.
2. Decreased Revenue: Streaming platforms generate revenue through streams and royalties. Deleting your music means cutting off a potential income stream. While streaming revenue for independent artists may not be substantial, it can still contribute to your overall earnings. Additionally, by removing your music, you eliminate the possibility of future revenue growth as your fan base expands.
3. Limited Promotional Opportunities: Streaming platforms offer various promotional features, such as curated playlists, algorithmic recommendations, and personalized suggestions. These mechanisms can help expose your music to a broader audience. By deleting your music, you forfeit the chance to benefit from these promotional avenues, which could significantly impact your visibility and reach.
4. Impact on Existing Fans: If you have a dedicated fan base who regularly listens to your music on streaming platforms, removing your music can disappoint and alienate them. Fans may rely on streaming platforms to access and support their favorite artists. Deleting your music could lead to frustration, loss of interest, and potential backlash from fans who have come to expect your presence on these platforms.
5. Professional Perception: The decision to delete your music from streaming platforms might be seen as a questionable move by industry professionals. It may raise concerns about your commitment, understanding of the modern music landscape, or willingness to adapt to new distribution models. This perception could potentially affect future collaboration opportunities, partnerships, or industry support.
6. Missed Data and Insights: Streaming platforms provide valuable data and insights regarding listener demographics, geographic reach, and engagement metrics. This information can be useful for understanding your audience, planning tours, targeting marketing efforts, and making informed decisions. By deleting your music, you lose access to this data, making it harder to make strategic choices in your career.
You were proud and loved the music you crafted at one point in time, so own it. If we aren't willing to maintain the history of our careers, who will?
Ultimately, the decision to remove your music from streaming platforms should be carefully considered, weighing the potential negative consequences against any specific reasons you may have for taking such action. It's essential to evaluate alternative distribution strategies or explore licensing options if you're dissatisfied with certain aspects of streaming platforms.
If you're in need of affordable distribution, I recommend Distrokid as I've used them for years. I even have a discount for first-time sign-ups at the link below:
http://DistroKid.com/vip/fern
Have a great day and let's make some music!
-Fern
