Tired of being beholden to the algorithm, Melanie Dyer is determined to effect real change, educating fans of the realities of being a musician in the streaming age.
Melanie Dyer (Source: Supplied)
Almost a year on from the report that more than 158 million songs received less than 1,000 streams on Spotify in 2023, Melanie Dyer is determined to make sure her music doesn’t become a statistic.
Taking so social media on the one-month anniversary of her latest song, the Dylan Wright-featuring Deep End, Dyer shared a video pointing out the harsh realities of the industry’s reliance on the ubiquitous Spotify streaming service.
“Spotify didn't add this song to any playlists,” the video’s overlaid text reads, “Which means that hundreds of thousands of listeners won't know it exists.”
Ending by asking fans whether they feel the song should be added, and urging them to tag the service in an attempt to “move the needle and make it happen”, Dyer also explained the realities of artists being beholden to algorithms in the modern age.
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“As artists we rely heavily on being added to playlists so that our music is discovered and doesn’t just slip through the cracks of the algorithm,” she began.
“It’s not the be all and end all, but If you don’t get added, it can be the difference between 1000-1 million streams (and beyond) and it also impacts your monthly listeners which in turn affects your audience growth, ability to get gigs/festivals and even your playing times/fee and position on the lineup.”
As she continued, Dyer noted that even though she is an artist who has spent more than 15 years within the industry, played large-scale festivals across Australia and Nashville, and has managed to chart with multiple albums and singles, even she isn’t immune from being at the mercy of the algorithm.
“I want to be transparent about the ups and downs of this biz and how incredibly deflating it can be at times,” she concluded. “Let’s try take back some of that control and see if we can move the needle just that little bit in our favour.”
At the time of writing, Spotify’s statistics show that Deep End has currently been streamed just over 9,000 times. Similarly, while numerous playlists are listed as the source of discovery for Dyer’s music, only the Country Party playlist currently features her work, by way of her appearance on Caitlyn Shadbolt’s Country Music Never Made More Sense.
For those wanting to affect real change in the streaming landscape, Melanie Dyer can be found on Spotify here.