“Spotify should not pay royalties to artists until they reach a threshold of 250,000 monthly listeners.”
— Joel Gouveia
Here are the posts that have appeared in the New Music Lives™ Group on Facebook this week...
• MTV Rewind Fan Site Launches with 27,000 Classic Videos and Vintage Commercials from consequence .net—At the end of 2025, MTV shut down many of its remaining 24-hour music channels across the globe. To fill the void, one ambitious fan has launched a free website called MTV Rewind, featuring archival content from throughout the network’s history.
• Spotify Is Paying Too Many Artists—And That’s Why No One Can Make a Living from joelgouveia.substack .com—Spotify should not pay royalties to artists until they reach a threshold of 250,000 monthly listeners. Not because artists don’t deserve money—but because the current system is quietly killing the middle class of music.
• NEW & IMPROVED—the TrueFans Manifesto™ 2026 [yours free to download in Files]— This TrueFans 'Manifesto' was first published as a Special Issue of the AMP newsletter on October 18, 2023. It was a looonnnggg one. Double our normal size. Still is. And it's 'heady' at points. We've made summaries and condenses for you to make it as easy as... So, skim. Scan. Dig down and drill deep. What's here may be 'more than you wanted to know' about TrueFans, but KNOWing what's true about TrueFans is THE key to your successful Music Artists future.
A copy of the PDF is available in the Files section of the group OR tap this direct download link: the TrueFans Manifesto 2026.
in partnership with the Jim Parker Songwriter Series
Jim Parker is a Singer Songwriting legend. More than four decades in the biz playing and co-creating with an astonishing array of who's-whose-and-who's would be reason enough, but his Jim Parker's Songwriters Series, where he showcases the talents and creation stories of songwriters and their songs from Los Angeles; Canada; Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and, and, and... is what makes Jim a National Treasure.
Jim's Songwriter Series is showcase featuring the world's greatest songwriters and musicians. Hosted at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It's a rare opportunity to see these artists perform in the round, in a dinner-theater atmosphere, up close and personal!
Tap here to Subscribe: jimparkermusic.com. You'll get announcements and invites and news of upcoming events. AND, Jim's YouTube channel features more than 376 videos, from setlist clips to complete shows. And he's on Facebook as well: the Jim Parker Songwriter Series.
Want a taste: Here's one of our favorites: Pat Alger - Thunder Rolls. Co-written with Garth Brooks. The backstory is amazing...
... and here's the more...
• A conversation with Terry McBride, founder of Nettwerk Music Group from MUBUTV—a rare, valuable, no-nonsense talk with one of the most influential independent music companies in the world. In this deep-dive conversation, Terry reveals the real force behind artist longevity: emotional connection and community and what actually sustains music careers. If you’re an artist, manager, label executive, or builder of culture—this episode is required listening. This isn’t an interview. It’s a masterclass.
• 12 Famous Hip-Hop Lyrics from inspiringquotes .com—Ever since its inception in the mid-1970s, hip-hop has infused everything from social movements to fashion trends to slang—and, of course, the music industry. Here are 12 of the most famous hip-hop lyrics of all time, which speak to the dynamic, wide range of hip hop’s reach.
• 10 Gloriously Nonsensical Songs of Pop Gibberish a Gift Article from the NYTimes—What all of the songs on today’s playlist have in common is that their titles are complete nonsense. You’ll hear from the Beatles, the Crystals and the Feelies, plus—I swear!—a handful of artists whose names don’t start with “the.”
• Classical Music Doesn’t Need a Glow-Up a Gift Article from the NYTimes—Classical music has been in a crisis for decades. New generations don’t seem to care about it. The institutions that support the music—the venues, the symphony orchestras, the funding foundations—have twisted themselves into pretzels trying to figure out why.
• Leading the Sounds of 2026: USfrom symphonic .com—As we look ahead to 2026, we are spotlighting a group of artists who continue to stand out through their originality, consistency, and steady creative growth. Over the past year, these artists have built real momentum through new releases, live performances, and the daily work that happens behind the scenes. Leading the Sounds of 2026 is our way of recognizing the foundation they have laid while looking ahead to what’s next.
Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.
And PLEASE, if you've got any Singer Songwriter friends, pass the AMP on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...
