the TrueFans AMP— Issue 94

“I try to teach my people the pride and the glory of being Black. I try to make them proud of their history and of themselves.”
— Nina Simone

In This Issue...  16 pages (about 24ish minutes to read) You'll Get... 

• Recommends— MIDiA Research— Nobody Does It— the Facts— Better!

• the TakeAway— the Year Ahead (or for some, left behind) About those Projections from MIDiA Research.

• the Greatest Singer Songwriters— Nina Simone the High Priestess of Soul

• in partnership with Adam Singer and Hot Takes on Substack

• Feature Article— the Day the Music Changed... Back by John Fogg

• PS from PS— I'm Mad as Hell... and you should be too.

Here’s the playlist

• Recommends— MIDiA Research— Nobody Does It— the Facts— Better!

MIDiA's widely-respected work is essential reading for any Musical Artist seeking clarity, strategic foresight, and actionable intelligence in today's fast-paced digital music economy.
— New Music Lives™

MIDiA Research stands at the forefront of industry intelligence, providing comprehensive analysis and deep insights into the digital entertainment and technology sectors. Esteemed globally for their influential reports, precise market forecasts, and strategic guidance, MIDiA Research helps leading companies, industry executives, and innovative startups navigate complex market landscapes with confidence. Their expert team addresses critical topics, including music streaming trends, consumer engagement, emerging technologies, digital media economics, and much more.

MIDiA's widely-respected work is essential reading for any Musical Artist seeking clarity, strategic foresight, and actionable intelligence in today's fast-paced digital economy. In addition to their premium reports and advisory services, MIDiA offers a valuable newsletter to keep you informed about the latest industry developments and opportunities. Explore their resources, stay informed, and gain a decisive edge in your business endeavors.

Tap into MIDiA's extensive Resources, such as: 

• Music market shares— Recorded music market shares 2024. 
• Market Games forecasts— MIDiA Research global games forecasts 2025-2031. 
• Games Sounds of 2025— MIDiA Research and Splice present "Sounds of 2025" report. Sounds: In-game video platforms— The case for In-game video platforms Closing the direct-to-consumer gap.
• Video: Bifurcation theory— How  today's music business will become two. 
• Bifurcation Music forecasts— Forecasts of the industry's current revenue sources 2024 – 2031. 
• Music: Songwriters— Understanding the evolving needs and challenges of Songwriters. 
• Songwriters Analogue revival— Factors behind the resurgence of physical media and its impact. 
• Revival: In-Game Spending— The 'why' and 'what' behind in-game spending. 
• Spending: Media Consumption Habits— Adapting to Media Consumption Trends. Habits: 
• Video Creator Tools— Insights and analysis for the video creator value chain.

And more...

Visit MIDiA Research, discover more and subscribe to the MIDiA Newsletter.   

• the TakeAway— the Year Ahead (or for some, left behind) About those Projections from MIDiA Research.

__________  

A TrueFans AMP™ Feature— Interpreted and Amplified for Musical Artists

Our editor's summary and highlights of the key points of the original Article: Unintended Consequences— The Year Ahead for Streaming, authored by Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research. Published: May 8, 2025

__________  

Streaming is no longer the future— it's the past morphing into something new, strange, and unsettling. 

MIDiA's Mark Mulligan calls it a year of transformative change for streaming platforms, led by two emerging forces: two-tier licensing and Supremium.

But here's the real headline for you the Music Artist😀 

What's coming next in streaming isn't built for you.

And the unintended consequences of these shifts will affect not only your income, but your identity, audience, and ability to succeed on your own terms.

Let's unpack what's happening— and how you can rise above it.

The True Takeaway 

Streaming is fragmenting into a system of haves and have-nots—for both artists and fans.

Two-tier licensing creates an artist underclass. Supremium builds a fan caste system. Neither model puts Artists First. So... we must.

What's Changing... 

Two-Tier Licensing: Monetization Based on Popularity
Streaming services are proposing new licensing terms that only pay royalties to tracks with more than a set threshold— often 1,000 plays. If your music doesn't cross that line?

You get nothing.

That's a dangerous precedent— and the ripple effects are profound.

Consequences:

• An Artist Underclass:
Anyone not consistently hitting the algorithm jackpot is demonetized. This creates a subclass of creators who no longer earn— even though they contribute to the richness of music culture.

• Indie Insurrection Is Brewing:
Independent artists may not be protesting yet, but indie labels are watching their revenue dry up— and could lead the backlash as more catalogs get sidelined.

• Culture Drain:
When the system says, "You're not welcome here," artists will go elsewhere. Platforms may save money by excluding the long tail, but they'll also lose the next wave of culture. And listeners will be left with a sanitized "mainstream hits only" experience.

• Post-Streaming Careers:
Artists will build businesses outside of streaming royalties— looking to live shows, tips, merch, sync, and direct fan support. (Sound familiar? That's the TrueFans roadmap.)

• New Success Metrics:
If streaming numbers don't reflect talent or traction anymore, then A&Rs, booking agents, and music supervisors will need new ways to measure artist potential.

• Fewer Releases:
Labels are shifting away from quantity. Why invest in songs that might not make the payout threshold? This means fewer risks, fewer experiments, fewer shots for new voices.

• Ossification of Streaming:
The push toward profitability could turn streaming into "Hits Radio 2.0"— a digital jukebox of evergreen Top 40s, where novelty fades and timeless tracks dominate.

• Dumbing Down the Listener:
As catalog music crowds out diversity, listener taste may narrow, and fandom IQ drops. That gap between "listener" and "fan" will widen, making it harder for artists to convert casual streamers into TrueFans.

Supremium: Subscription Stratification
Supremium is streaming's new super-tier— offering early access to tracks, tickets, merch, and special content... for a price. On the surface, it seems like a win for superfans. But the second-order consequences are tricky.

Speaking of Consequences...

• Fan Class Warfare:
If you give some fans more, you give the rest less. That's fine when people can afford to upgrade— but what about young fans, or those with tight finances? They'll be left feeling excluded. 

TrueFans aren't just defined by what they spend.

• Weakened Value for the Many:
Standard subscribers may begin to wonder: "Why am I paying $9.99 for a watered-down experience?" Churn could rise. New subscriber growth may slow. Artists will feel the pinch.

• Scarcity Becomes a Lie:
As more fans buy into "early access," nothing is truly exclusive. Tickets still sell out, merch still disappears— and superfans are left paying more for the same frustrations. Remember Syndrome's quote in The Incredibles😀 

"When everyone is super… no one is."

• Disappointment Risk:
Supremium's version 1.0 might flop. If early adopters are unimpressed, the entire model could collapse. And in this market, you don't get many second chances.

• Or... Supremium Might Work:
If executed well, it could be a new way to monetize fandom. But who benefits? Major artists with corporate machinery, not indie creators trying to reach 100 or 1000 TrueFans.

The TrueFans Interpretation 
This isn't just business as usual versus UNusual. It's a battle for the soul of music.
Streaming is morphing from a flat landscape into a tiered economy of exclusion, where:

• Only the most played get paid
• Only the richest fans get access
• And the rest are expected to accept it

But guess what?

You don't have to play that game. 
You can create your own.

The TrueFans Manifesto says it loud: "It's Time… for a Change. Big Time. Past Time."

So... let's talk solutions.

What You Can Do... Now! 

1. Build Direct Channels
You don't need Spotify to find fans. You need:

• A way to collect emails
• A way to receive tips
• A way to deliver music, stories, and offers directly

That's what TrueFans CONNECT™ is for. (That's what all we do at New Music Lives™ is for...)

2. Deepen Fan Relationships
Go beyond streams. Talk to your fans. Involve them. Let them support you not just with taps and clicks, but with cash, love, and loyalty.

3. Redefine Your Metrics
Stop obsessing over stream counts. Start tracking:

/

• Emails collected
• Merch sold
• Fan messages replied to|
• House concerts booked

4. Create Your Own Supremium
Want real TrueFans? Make them feel like insiders:

• Offer early demos
• Host private Zooms
• Share behind-the-scenes content
• Let them co-create your next release

And you control the access— not some profit-obsessed platform.

5. Embrace the Post-Streaming Model
Music doesn't have to be monetized by royalties alone.

Make your living with:

• Live shows (house concerts!)
• Coaching or teaching
• Licensing
• TrueFan subscriptions
• Art + music bundles
• Virtual TrueFan clubs

That's the new way forward. 

You keep the freedom.
You keep the money. 
You keep the fans. 

A Final Word 
The MIDiA article is a wake-up call. But not for despair. It's a signal flare for artists who are ready to take control of their art and their lives.

Streaming is shifting. The industry is dividing. But TrueFans artists? You're building something better.

Let the platforms chase scale.

You chase love. Loyalty. Legacy.

And always remember: You don't need millions of streams.

You just need hundreds and thousands of TrueFans— who care, who follow, and who stay with you... Forever.

• the Greatest Singer-Songwriters of All Time— Nina Simone the High Priestess of Soul

"Nina Simone wasn't just a singer. She was a force of nature— an artist who could channel the pain, pride, and power of an entire people into a single note. She didn't just perform music; she transformed it into a weapon of truth."
— Toni Morrison

The High Priestess fof Soul was…
born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone would become one of the most iconic, influential, and unrelenting voices in American music. A musical prodigy, she played piano by ear at age three and gave her first classical recital at 12. Despite her early training in Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, her path to a concert hall career was blocked when the Curtis Institute of Music rejected her— a slight many believe was racially motivated. That rejection redirected her life and changed the course of American music.

"There's no one like her. There never will be."
— Elton John

Out of that disappointment rose a singular artist who fused classical rigor with jazz spontaneity, blues depth, gospel fire, and folk simplicity. Nina Simone didn't just blend genres; she embodied them, making every phrase her own. Her voice— smoky, urgent, unvarnished— could cradle a lullaby or rattle the walls with righteous fury.

"I try to teach my people the pride and the glory of being Black. I try to make them proud of their history and of themselves."
— Nina Simone

Her Songs, Her Truth
Simone's discography spans more than 40 albums, each offering a rich, unfiltered look at her soul and the state of the world. Her first major hit, I Loves You, Porgy (1958), introduced her to a national audience. But it was her protest songs that cemented her status as both artist and activist. Mississippi Goddam, written in response to the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers and the Birmingham church bombing, was incendiary and unapologetic. Radio stations boycotted it; Simone refused to back down.

Other standout songs include:

Sinnerman— a gospel-fueled 10-minute crescendo of spiritual reckoning.
Four Women— a haunting profile of Black womanhood and identity.
To Be Young, Gifted and Black— an anthem of pride and potential, inspired by the late playwright Lorraine Hansberry.
I Put a Spell on You— dark, theatrical, and riveting.
Feeling Good— triumphant and beloved by generations.

Simone's live performances were an experience all their own. She didn't just sing; she testified. She scolded noisy audiences. She stopped songs to speak directly to her listeners. Her concerts were conversations— sometimes confrontational, always captivating.

"She was our truth teller, our rebel angel."
— Alicia Keys

The Artist Activist
As the Civil Rights Movement roared through the 1960s, Simone became one of its fiercest voices. Frustrated with the slow pace of progress and enraged by violence, she moved beyond polite protest to pointed provocation. Her art became weaponized, infused with urgency.

"An artist's duty is to reflect the times in which we live."
— Nina Simone

She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shared stages with James Baldwin and Stokely Carmichael, and used every public appearance as a platform. But her outspoken nature came at a cost. Bookings dwindled. Record companies balked. Friends distanced themselves. And Nina, never one to compromise, grew more isolated.

Trials and Turmoil
Simone's life offstage was as dramatic as her music. She endured an abusive marriage, faced financial instability, and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She lived in Liberia, Switzerland, Barbados, and finally France, often in self-imposed exile. Fame was never her aim. Truth was.

"Nina taught me that pain can be powerful."
— Mary J. Blige

Yet even in her darkest years, Simone's artistry never dimmed. Her 1987 re-emergence, thanks to a European commercial featuring My Baby Just Cares for Me, reignited interest in her work. A new generation discovered her fire, her finesse, and her fearlessness.

Honors and Posthumous Glory
Though often underrecognized during her life, Simone's legacy has grown exponentially. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Her songs have been sampled, covered, and celebrated across genres. From Alicia Keys to Kanye West, Lauryn Hill to John Legend, Nina Simone lives in the DNA of modern music.

Documentaries like What Happened, Miss Simone? (Netflix) have introduced her brilliance and bravery to wider audiences. Her childhood home has been saved and designated as a national treasure. And the Curtis Institute of Music, the same school that rejected her, awarded her an honorary degree in 2003.

The Simone Effect: Reverberations Across Generations

Artists today don't just cite Simone as an influence— they treat her as a blueprint.

Lauryn Hill: "Nina Simone helped me understand that my voice matters."
John Legend: "She made music that demanded you listen. Not just hear— listen."
Kanye West: "She was hip-hop before hip-hop."

Final Note
Nina Simone was complex, uncompromising, and, at times, controversial. But through every key stroke and syllable, she gave us her truth— raw, poetic, and necessary. She broke rules, reshaped genres, and refused silence.

Her legacy isn't just one of musical genius. It's one of courage. Of vision. Of unwavering commitment to art as a vehicle for justice.

"Freedom is no fear."
— Nina Simone

And by that measure, Nina Simone was the freest of them all.

in partnership with Adam Singer and Hot Takes on Substack  

• Feature Article— the Day the Music Changed... Back When We Stopped Listening Live and Started Listening to Machines
by John Fogg

__________  

There was a time, not so long ago in the backhand sweep of history, when the only way to experience music was to be there. To be present. In the room where it was happening. Or the front porch. Or the church. Or the barroom. Music was live. Alive. In the moment. It was something that happened with you. Around you. Through you. To you.

You couldn't press play. You couldn't skip a track. You had to show up for it. You had to be there.

And then— everything changed.

The Shift: From Flesh to Phonograph 
The day the music changed didn't happen all at once. It was a slow evolution. It's just seemed like a revolution. In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison gave the world the phonograph, and for the first time, sound could be captured. Stored. And replayed. This wasn't just a technological breakthrough. It was a spiritual shift. Music no longer required a Musical Artist in front of you. A machine could now stand in.

Suddenly, the ephemeral became permanent. The immediate became portable. Voices and violins could live inside wax cylinders and, later, spinning discs, and, now, your  phone.

The Listener Becomes the Consumer
As radio and records took off, we the people began to change, too. We stopped gathering around live performers and started gathering around speakers. We traded the collective heartbeat of an audience for the solitary sanctuary of headphones and earbuds.

Music became something to own 
rather than something to experience.

It brought incredible access. Whole genres traveled across continents. Jazz jumped oceans. Blues moved north. Gospel rang from radios in kitchens and cars. A record could make an unknown Singer into a household name. Technology democratized fame.

But something was lost in the transition.

The Price of Convenience
With every gain in convenience, a little magic slipped away. Okay, a lot. We no longer saw the sweat on a singer's brow. We no longer felt the vibrations of a drumbeat in our hips, shared with a hundred other soul sisters and brothers in the same space. The spontaneity of the moment, the mistakes, the improvisation, the shared spirit— if not gone, diluted.

We learned to love perfection. To expect it. Producers polished songs to gleaming precision. Auto-Tune corrected flaws. Songs were sliced into seconds. Optimized for algorithmic approval. Listening became passive. Sometimes mindless. Even hard hearted.

Music, once the main event, became background. Muzak.

Are We Ready to Come Back?
And yet, something is stirring. A hunger and thirst. A remembering.

Vinyl is back. House concerts are thriving. Tiny Desk performances go viral. Musicians are rediscovering the power of raw, unfiltered moments. Emotions. We clap for spontaneity. We cheer for live mistakes. We crave the real. Authentic. Music.

Technology gave us music on demand. But what if what we really want is music that demands— demands something more of us?

To be there. To listen. To feel. Now. 

Back to the Future
We're at a new threshold. AI writes songs. Algorithms pick our playlists. Virtual avatars perform on digital stages. We can listen to a million songs and never hear a single voice.

And yet— the most powerful moments in music still happen live.

In a living room. In a small club. On a festival stage. On a street corner. A voice. A guitar. Piano. Harp. Guitar. A song. Shared.

The future of music may be digital. But the heart of music will always be analog.

Maybe it's time to bring music home again. Ya' think? Not just into our homes. Into our presence. Into our relationships. Into our listening. Music. Be. Here. Now.

Because music is more than sound. It's a spiritual connection.

And we could all use a little more of that.

the Day the Music Changed... Back.

__________  

the TrueFans AMP™ Where music lives again— not just in files. In fans. Not just in playlists. In presence.

• PS from PS: I'm Mad as Hell...
… and you should be too.

The streaming giants are building a musical dystopia right under your microphones.

They're erasing you with two-tier licensing that pays NOTHING if you don't hit arbitrary streaming thresholds. Your song— the one that took months to craft— worthless in their ears if it doesn't hit 1,000 plays.

They're segregating your fans with "Supremium" models that turn music into a class system. A caste system. Where only wealthy listeners get the full experience. Everyone else is an untouchable. A musical leper.

Just like their political co-conspirators in government, they're killing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, forcing labels to chase only the safest of commercial bets. Experimental sounds, niche genres, and fresh voices all are withering on the vine. The 'Grapes of Wrath'.

Is this the future you want? (Stupid question.) A world where your value is determined by algorithms... Where only the well-healed wealthy can support you... Where artistic diversity dies on the cross of corporate profit...

Hell no.

This is exactly why all of our efforts— TrueFans CONNECT™ and SET.tools, the TrueFans AMP™, TrueFans RADIO™ and TrueFans JAM ™(both not ready yet and coming soon)— champion the Artist First Revolution. We're taking to head and heart the turning point that...

You don't have to play their game. 
You can create your own.

Because... It's time for a change. Big time. Past time.

Your songs matter. Your art matters. You matter. And you deserve better than what the music industry is offering.

Until we speak again...

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...