Spotify Woes.

Once upon a time, in a world far far away… musicians made money from selling albums, gigging, and maybe getting a song on the radio.

Fast forward to today, and it’s all about streaming. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube have changed how we consume music - but they’ve also transformed how musicians survive. For many of us, it’s not looking great, it sometimes feels like a collective grief we all face as musicians. It’s not fair, but whoever said that life is fair?... It’s complex and unjust at times. 

While streaming has made music more accessible, it’s also created a mental health minefield for musicians. From financial instability to pressure to throw up... constant content, it can take its toll. First, let’s talk about cash or rather, the lack of it. Back in the day, selling a CD or vinyl meant a direct, tangible income. Now, a musician might get fractions of a penny per stream. To put it in perspective, Spotify reportedly pays between £0.002 and £0.004 per stream (I hear that other platforms such as tidal are far better quality so do some research). That means even a million streams (which sounds impressive) might barely cover rent for a month in most cities. It’s tragic!

This financial instability can cause serious anxiety. Many musicians are forced to juggle multiple jobs and constantly worry about whether they can afford to keep making music. It’s exhausting, and over time, it takes a toll on mental well-being.

In the streaming era, it’s not enough to release a great album and let it breathe and find an audience. Artists are expected to constantly push new content, singles, remixes, social media updates, TikTok clips, behind-the-scenes footage. The attention span of the average listener is short, and algorithms reward those who keep feeding the machine. I was once shocked during a Tonic Music Peer Support Group when an electronic artist told the group how she was expected to make one track a week for the Spotify appetite! Blew my mind!

This pressure can be overwhelming. Musicians who just want to focus on their craft find themselves playing the social media game, obsessing over engagement metrics, and stressing about staying relevant. The creative process turns into a numbers game, and that’s a fast track to burnout.

Speaking of numbers, streaming platforms also provide artists with real-time data on how their music is performing. On paper, this sounds great, instant feedback! But in reality, it can be a nightmare. Imagine pouring your heart into an album only to see it flop in real-time. The dopamine hit of seeing streams rise can be addictive, but the inevitable dips can lead to self-doubt, anxiety, and even depression.

Artists start to equate their worth with their streaming numbers, which is a dangerous mindset. I recently got sucked into my band and my solo numbers. It’s quite alluring to see where the music is being listened to and by whom or the individual demographics etc. But ultimately all this does is to drive this addictive push to ‘get more’... more, more, more. I don’t know what the answer is but I know we are collectively struggling.

My own way of coping with this is to just remember why I started musicking and that I have a choice to enter the industry but I can also make music for the love. 

Also, don’t forget, fans, too, can make a difference, supporting artists by buying their music, attending gigs, and spreading the word. Streaming isn’t going anywhere, but neither should musicians’ well-being. It’s time to find a balance that works for everyone despite how many musicians’ mental health products these big companies ‘sponsor’.

Oh, and don’t forget Spotify, whilst decimating the industry, sponsors the odd mental health and musicians venture...

Make of that what you will!

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Adam Ficek hosts a monthly show 'Tonic Music' on Totally Wired Radio, where he talks to various guests about music and mental health. You can listen again to any of the previous show on the Tonic Music Mixcloud page.