Big Data, Algorithms, and the promise of small gains by companies like Google, Spotify, Facebook, you name it.
Stream with the big names, buy for the small names.
Big Data, Algorithms, and the promise of small gains by companies like Google, Spotify, Facebook, you name it.
Google just sent me this email with an enticing headline: November report: your revenue grew by 893%.
Do you know what that translates to? $1.21 TOTAL profit from Adsense in November of 2021 with nearly 900% more page views.
This holiday season and going into the new year, the best way to support local artists, podcasters, streamers, bands is with direct sales, Bandcamp Friday, going to shows, paying cash for merch.
Just because the artist is using Square or Venmo or Paypal for their merch table, these services frequently charge a fee for convenience.
I am certainly not against big tech, far from it. When my friends release music I buy it on Bandcamp if I can, buy it from Apple Music because I earn points on my Apple Credit card, but I also stream it on Spotify even though I am not a Spotify user regularly. I even download and listen to our OWN podcasts on Anchor and Spotify to earn fractions of pennies for the stream and to help the algorithm.
Running a small business isn’t easy, and that’s what bands and creators are. Any support you give like going to a show, tipping on stream, taking advantage of Bandcamp releases. It’s all awesome. Keep doing it. And if your friend’s band is releasing music on a non-Bandcamp Friday, still get it and order it. We want Bandcamp to survive, too. Stream it all, live it all, love it all. Just don’t be fooled that the pennies Google and Spotify are kicking back to you mean anything. My 900% jump in page views was the result of advertising, producing good content, and promoting good bands and live podcasts. Good content is king, and creators are on the razor’s edge dancing all the time.
I’d love to hear your thoughts below or email me claynferno@gmail.com
It's definitely a sad state of affairs. But I do love watching those pennies go up! One of the rules to surviving Zombieland: Enjoy the little things.