Music, Money & Tech - Issue #19

“I want to debunk the myth that originality requires extreme risk taking and persuade you that originals are actually far more ordinary than we realize.” — Adam Grant, Originals

Centralized platforms have been dominant for so long that many people have forgotten there is a better way to build internet services.

A wave of startups has emerged to build this dream, helping creators sell all formats and genres of content. In some cases, this playbook works fantastically well: OnlyFans, Patreon, Substack, Teachable, Twitch, and many more are helping hundreds of thousands of creators earn a living.

Over the past few months, some of music’s biggest stars have released No. 1 projects on the Billboard 200 chart without determining the final percentages each songwriter owns on all the album’s tracks.