Spotify, the dominant music streaming service, recently revealed it paid $5 billion to rights holders in 2020. Even so, many musicians in Kansas City continue to gripe about the remuneration they receive from the company. Those complaining loudest are usually among the least popular artists. Yet their frustration isn’t entirely unreasonable. Kansas City is an inhospitable market for non-commercial sounds.
The latest Nielsen Audio Ratings for the Kansas City radio market reflect the limited local appetite for alternative and refined forms of music. Every radio station with even a smidgen of jazz programming garnered a market share of less than one percent. Tellingly, the six-month-old 91.9 Classical KC didn’t even register as a blip.
Meanwhile, fans willing to buy MP3s or vinyl are uncommon exceptions. Streaming is the preferred medium for the foreseeable future. I’d rather invest in a jazz-themed NFT than attempt to make room on my hard drive for more digital music or add another slab of vinyl to my neglected LP collection. What’s the solution for nonconforming artists eager to find a different way to monetize recordings of their music?
Pitchfork’s profile of Catalytic Sound points to a possible way forward. The boutique streaming service specializing in avant-garde music is supported by 141 subscribers who commit $10 a month for exclusive access to a few dozen albums. It’s a blueprint for obstinate members of Kansas City’s jazz community. I’d pay $10 a month for access to otherwise unavailable new music by Kansas City’s finest musicians. How many would join me?