| When I first started making music back in the 1980's, I | | | | When I first laid hands on Spotify I was amazed. |
| didn't think I ever could get my music out to a large | | | | Spotify is a very good music streaming service that is |
| audience – and getting payed for it never ever | | | | free in many parts of the world. But even the paid |
| crossed my mind. | | | | accounts are worth the money. Spotify tries to |
| During the years I created thousands of tunes. Many | | | | distribute all music ever published, which I believe is a |
| compositions were created together with friends, and | | | | hard and tough, but very good, goal. |
| later I started to make demos that we sent out to | | | | Since Spotify is available all over the world today, and |
| record labels. Together with a friend, we got signed on | | | | the fact that they have so much different music, there |
| a small Swedish label that wanted to release one of | | | | were no more use for an Italo Disco exclusive radio |
| our techno/trance tracks. We were of course very | | | | station anymore. SouthPole Radio was therefore |
| happy for this, and had big plans for the future. This is | | | | turned into a record label, and in November 2009 |
| the first time I came across talks about earning money | | | | SouthPole Radio released its first album: Antarctica, by |
| in context of our music. | | | | Pingo® (spotify:album:7zUqiTY4BmwXXUWhP1kyti). |
| However, that record label got into economic problems | | | | Before we released any album at all, we made a lot |
| and we never saw our tune get released. Sadly so, | | | | of research on how to actually release music on |
| because we both thought it was a very good song | | | | Spotify. First, we wanted to release for UK and USA |
| and we had a strong concept. The band name we | | | | charts too, and other media centers as Apple's |
| choose was Cube, and we created some sort of mix | | | | AppStore, Amazon and such. However, this proved to |
| between techno, trance and euro-disco. | | | | be fairly expensive, and without our label and artist |
| The whole disco scene has always interested me, and | | | | name well known, we didn't want to take that chance. |
| I started up a large streaming radio channel via an | | | | However, several different online systems (Ditto Music |
| online service back in the late 1990's. This proved to be | | | | was the one we finally signed with) had very cheap |
| successful, especially since I played only Italo Disco and | | | | methods for distributing to Spotify. SouthPole Radio |
| had many very obscure and different songs in the | | | | therefore decided to exclusivly launch the first album |
| playlist. At one time, the radio station – then called | | | | on Spotify via this online system. It was very easy too! |
| SouthPole Radio – was the largest Italo Disco radio | | | | Here is how we did it: |
| station on the internet. | | | | First we saved all the tunes in mp3-format in 320Kbps |
| But it is costly to run a radio station. Not only hosting | | | | or higher resolution. After that, we created an account |
| and bandwidth – it also costs money to make it | | | | with Ditto Music and payed the £2 up front fee. This |
| legal. All this was done by the online service, but I | | | | is a monthly fee that has to be payed for hosting, |
| never got anything back. My radio station was free for | | | | accounting and such. It is very cheap, and if you get |
| all to listen to, and even though I recieved many happy | | | | 100 streams per month, you will break even. |
| emails about how good the station was, I spent more | | | | You then upload the tunes together with a 800x800 |
| and more money on the music. | | | | pixel JPG-picture that is your cover art. |
| The station did inspire me to keep writing my own | | | | That's it! After that, it takes about 4-5 weeks, and then |
| music, and I started yet again to create own tunes. | | | | your music is live for as long as you pay the £2 |
| This lead to buying equipment, and somewhere during | | | | monthly fee. |
| 2000-2001, I created songs with an Amiga 1200 as | | | | For each stream that people listen to in Spotify you will |
| sequencer (and sampler) hooked up to a Novation | | | | get £0.02. This is also payed out to you monthly. |
| BassStation keyboard, a Roland TR-505 (a not so | | | | This is probably the most easy way – and maybe |
| good drum machine) and a Roland SC-88 MkII – a | | | | even the cheapest – to get your music on Spotify |
| very nice synth module with lots of good sounds. | | | | – and get payed for it! With a bit of marketing, you |
| But over the years, different software sollutions | | | | will get a lot of listeners, and the more listeners, the |
| proved to be an improvement to the hardware. The | | | | more you get payed. |
| equipment was sold and production started with only | | | | If you then update your account on Ditto Music with |
| different sort of software programs, using everything | | | | downloads and other sales, you can keep selling your |
| from PC, Mac and even Atari computers. | | | | music for a profit. |