Independent Artists
Gina Jeanz Breaks Down Each Song On Her Spellbinding Debut Album, “Lucid Theory”
It’s no secret that the current generation of young music producers is about as creative as they come. From the endless libraries of music available online to the fast-paced evolution of music-making technology, their artistries have been catalyzed by unprecedented access to education and inspiration. The result? Experimental aesthetics, enticingly textured soundscapes and respect for— yet rampant disregard of—genre. The debut album from rising Namibian producer Gina Jeanz proves no different. Released independently on December 3rd, Lucid Theory is equal parts old and new, reigniting well-known sonics and drum machines with multidimensional arrangements and whimsical genre blends. Jeanz also plays with euphonious vocalists and live instrumentation, channeling the comp...
SoundCloud’s New Fan-Powered Royalty Model Could Shake Up Music Streaming Forever
After years of platform reformation and corporate restructuring, audio distribution platform SoundCloud has announced a new fan-powered royalty model, which the company touts as a “game-changing” innovation to empower independent artists. The new model is predicated on fan bases, whose streaming activity will drive and dictate payout rates to the artists they listen to. With the ambitious move, SoundCloud will distribute a portion of its users’ subscription payments and accrued advertising revenue to the musicians they listen to on the platform, with the objective of supporting independent artists with loyal fans. The model could serve as a harbinger for the future of music streaming. “SoundCloud is uniquely positioned to offer this transformativ...
