Spotify 101: For Music Makers

How to understand “The Spotify Paradox,” change your mindset, and start using Spotify effectively to sustain your music career.

In this six-part post, we’ll explore what we call “The Spotify Paradox.” We’ll look at what it is, why it exists, and what can be done about it. By the end of this post, if you’re a music maker, you should hopefully have a new mindset about the potentially positive role Spotify can play in your music career.

Let’s get started!

Part I: Understanding Spotify, Its Customers, and You

When it comes to understanding Spotify — and understanding how to use Spotify effectively — there are a few key things you need to wrap your head around.

1. Spotify’s customers are music listeners. Not music makers. And as far as Spotify’s customers are concerned, Spotify is the greatest thing that has ever happened. This means that no argument you’re going to mount against Spotify is going to matter as long as Spotify continues to give its customers what they want, because in a market economy, Spotify is a wildly successful product.

2. As a music maker, you’re a supplier in this equation. What you give Spotify is part of the raw material that…