SoundCloud's Failed Highwire Balancing Act: The Sony-SoundCloud Breakup
Posted on May 23, 2015 by adammarx13
Trying (and Failing) to Balance Two Completely Different Paradigms
The Sony-SoundCloud Breakup
It's been a tough week for Sony between its leaked contract with Spotify and criticism over its moves with SoundCloud. And yet, inasmuch as the former is embarrassing and will certainly come back to bite the two companies, the latter is arguably more problematic because it's not simply between Sony and SoundCloud; it's between Sony, SoundCloud and the independent artists and fans. That last little caveat is something that Sony can afford to ignore—but it's going to become an increasingly difficult reality for SoundCloud.
SoundCloud, now a platform for major labels and advertisers
News broke over the last couple of weeks that Sony has started pulling their artists' music from SoundCloud—regardless of what the artists want. To Sony, SoundCloud isn't a viable option since it doesn't presently have a strong monetization plan (as if services like Spotify and Rdio do), and until the label and streaming service can come to terms, it seems that any and all Sony-controlled material will be stripped from SoundCloud.
This has put SoundCloud in quite a precarious position. On the one hand, it doesn't want to alienate its initial die-hard independent fanbase, but on the other it's been actively seeking out a deal with Sony, as well as with the other two major labels, Warner and Universal (already having one in place with Warner). SoundCloud is trying to balance two completely different bases and paradigms that are moving in opposite directions: 1) the major label paradigm which is still predicated on an obsolete business model, and 2) the independent paradigm which is increasingly embracing "free" as a big part of the future.
What the major label industry really looks like; The Big Three
What I Said a Month Ago
On April 9th, SoundCloud signed a deal with Zefr—that same day, I wrote a post on why independents should very soon kiss SoundCloud goodbye; why the Zefr deal was essentially irrelevant for them. It seems I wasn't the only one who'd identified SoundCloud's prospective problems, as a day later on April 10th, PandoDaily writer David Holmes came to the same conclusion and published a piece with a similar premise. Holmes' post validated many of my points, and cleverly brought up a few others, all to conclude, as I had, that the Zefr deal was a band-aid for a bullet wound. And now the bullet wounds are really beginning to gush blood.
This week, electronic artist Madeon released a heavily critical statement regarding he Sony-SoundCloud breakup, noting: "Thank you SoundCloud for being such a great discovery platform over the past five years. Well done Sony for holding your own artists hostage."
Ouch. Snap. Burn.
Clearly Madeon (along with droves of other EDM artists who've gained significant followings on SoundCloud) isn't pleased with Sony's "money first" thought process and strategy. And while Sony has the legal right to pull music which it holds the rights to, in the grand scheme, it's not exactly a play which will endear it either to the fans it seeks, or the artists it works with. Actually, it has the complete opposite effect.
Who's the First Priority?
But what lies beneath the surface of this very public breakup is not simply an issue for Sony, but a major issue for SoundCloud. People expect Sony to act like a major label—because that's what it is. But increasingly, SoundCloud has been chasing the major label content which it thinks could help it become more competitive with Spotify, Rdio and Apple. In the process, it's spitting in the faces of the people who loved SoundCloud for what it was before: free discovery.
Excerpt from my original April 9th article
And as SoundCloud moves closer to the major label paradigm, it becomes increasingly irrelevant for independent artists, regardless of genre. Independents are where SoundCloud cut its teeth, so now, moving away from the free-model will leave them somewhat toothless. Case in point: SoundCloud's new NMPA deal, which, again, is irrelevant for independent artists.
The thing about the independents is that, unlike major label artists who are tied to the major label business model, they're not tied to anybody. Their loyalty can and will be to whoever gives them the best service as a first priority, not an afterthought. This means the best service for the independents, not the best they can do after the major labels have had their fill. SoundCloud is trying to perform a balancing act on a razor-thin highwire and it's 600lbs overweight. It's trying to straddle two completely different business paradigms, and managing to piss everyone off in the process.
Free Is Here to Stay—Live With It
The free paradigm which the labels are beginning to get fed up with isn't going away—something which Peter Kafka seized on in his article on Spotify. Free is a way of life now, and as independent artists continue to explore the benefits that free affords them, they will increasingly detach themselves from the obligations of the major label paradigm. Services like SoundCloud will eventually have to choose a side—something that's going to be exceedingly difficult for SoundCloud now that they already have a deal with Warner and are chasing deals with the other two major labels.
It seems that they've already made their choice, and it won't be too long before droves of independents notice. They don't have to and won't settle for being second-tier priorities, and will look for alternative options. In the meantime, Sony and SoundCloud will duke it out until the former signs the latter to a major label-style contract.
I said it before and I'll say it again: if you're an independent, kiss SoundCloud goodbye.
This entry was posted in Artists, Bands, Blogging, Business, Free Music, Independent Music, Journalism, Major Label, Management, Music, Music Industry, Music Journalism, Startups, Streaming, Tech, Writing and tagged Artists, Bands, Blogging, Business, Free, Free Music, Independent, Independent Music, Journalism, Major Label, Management, Music, Music Industry, Music Journalism, Sony, SoundCloud, Startups, Streaming, Tech, Writing by adammarx13. Bookmark the permalink.
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