Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Wednesday edition - 3 min read

Spotify Fights AI Slop

What's Up

Seems like all the criticism finally got to Spotify. They just announced they’ve removed 75 million AI spam tracks in the past year. All that slop was and is diluting YOUR royalty pool. Now they’re rolling out a new spam filter this fall that’ll tag bad uploads and stop recommending them to listeners.

So What

The spam filter matters, but Spotify’s also taking “content mismatch” seriously (finally). This is a long-standing issue with Spotify, where randos can upload slop straight to your Spotify profile. If you’ve been a victim, you know how frustrating this gets. It seriously tanks your stats because listeners are confused about the quality of your music.

Now What

Been impersonated? Then these new policies from Spotify might help you. They claim they’re “reducing wait times” for content mismatch forms - but we’ll have to see about that.

[Read more on HypeBot]

Being an Indie Artist Could Actually Pay

What’s Up

Throw away those aprons, Rep. Rashida Tlaib just reintroduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act, which would set a penny per stream minimum. Right now, streaming is 84% of recorded music revenue but artists only make fractions of pennies after everyone takes their cut.

So What

Streaming platforms would have to add 50% of subscription fees (capped at $4-$10) plus 10% of ad revenue into a fund that pays you directly. Currently, you need 800K monthly streams just to make $15/hr. With this bill, you’ll get to live every musician's dream: finally paying rent.

Now What

Look, congress loves big tech more than struggling artists. So put some pressure on them by writing your congressional representative and asking them to co-sponsor the bill. Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Thompson, and Ramirez already signed on. Even if it dies in committee (because let’s be real here), momentum matters for the next attempt.

[Read more on Music Ally]

Facebook Launches Free Fan-Building Tools

What's Up

Facebook. That’s a name you wouldn’t think would pop up in music discovery. Meta recently launched free fan-building tools, one of which is Fan Challenges—a potential game changer (what's your game, Zuck?).

So What

Facebook isn’t just for grandmas posting wholesome memes. Meta’s betting on creator tools now - and Fan Challenges is honestly a great idea. It lets you encourage covers or remixes. That right there is organic growth. And with TikTok’s ownership still in limbo, betting your entire fanbase on one platform looks riskier every day.