There is no healthy alternative.

The songs and voices that help us feel our emotions, that guide us through life’s experiences, that put a name to injustices, and breathe life into revolutions - have been significantly diminished. Most artists are struggling to survive and often work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. The ability to live a sustainable life in music is worse than it has ever been.

Musicians love to create and perform, but most don’t love to think about business or logistics. When asked about their hopes and dreams, most just want “enough money to keep playing music with my friends.”

People whose primary interest is the accumulation of wealth have taken advantage of this dynamic with layer upon layer of administration and some have even outright stolen the revenue of the music industry (e.g. streaming) for themselves. Almost every business model and piece of technology has been created with the singular intention of extracting as much money as possible for the benefit of a small number of people.

Very little innovation has happened with the best interests of musicians in mind. When music is created, everyone takes a cut and very little is left for those who create the music in the first place.