My $100,000 Album Was Deleted by Spotify – Here's What Happened Next

It's been a wild week since I shared the story of investing $100,000 into my album, only for Spotify to delete it. The video really took off, getting over a quarter million views fast and sparking tons of comments and reactions from other musicians. It’s clear a lot of us are dealing with similar issues.

Key Takeaways

• The music industry feels broken, with artists losing value and facing constant problems with streaming platforms and distributors.
• Many independent artists are experiencing similar issues with their music being deleted or unauthorized songs appearing on their profiles.
• Investing in high-quality production and visuals can be a valuable educational experience, even if it's expensive.
• Visual content and other platforms like YouTube are becoming more important for artists to connect with fans and generate revenue.
• Traditional touring and merch sales can be complex and costly, with varying levels of profitability.

The Music Industry is Broken

It seems like the music industry has been struggling since the internet became a big thing. Back in the day, we bought CDs and albums. Now, younger folks grew up with free music online, and paying for it feels like paying for air – it’s just there all the time. This has really changed how music is valued.

Physical Media and the Future

While places like Japan still sell a lot of CDs, Western countries aren't buying them as much. This is part of why K-pop and J-pop do so well; they still have a strong physical media market. I’ve seen this myself with my own publishing payouts. Even though most big stores still have a CD section, hardly anyone is shopping there. It’s tough to get people to value physical music again.

Distributor Woes

A lot of people think this is just a Distrokid problem, but reading the comments, it seems like all distributors have issues. Big or small, they often lead to tiny payouts and bad treatment for independent artists. We need a real way to earn money, not just another path to pennies.

Streaming Service Nightmares

It’s not just Spotify. I have multiple Apple Music profiles, and my SoundCloud has songs I didn’t even make. Trying to get help from these platforms is impossible. It feels like independent artists’ problems just don’t matter to anyone except other artists. Streaming services, casual listeners, and distributors don’t seem to care as long as they’re making money.

The Spotify Lawsuit Question

Many suggested suing Spotify, but the system is so international and spread out, it’s hard to pin down. Spotify is Swedish, distributors are often American, and they operate under different laws. This creates a legal gray area. On top of music getting deleted, I’ve had unauthorized songs appear on my profile because someone wanted a "collaboration." It’s wild – people can upload songs to your profile without your password or any hacking skills. The platforms have made it too easy for this to happen, and it’s a constant headache.

My $100,000 Investment: Was It Worth It?

I decided to invest $100,000 into producing my album, "Beauty and the Boss," including the music, photos, and videos. I know some people thought it was too much, and there were cheaper ways to do it. But I always wanted to see what happens when you hire the absolute best in the business. I finally had the money to do it after working in food service, recording other singers, and selling sample packs.

Education Through Experience

Working with top professionals gave me an education that was way better than any college degree, and college would have cost three times as much. People congratulate you for getting a degree even if you don’t know how you’ll pay off the loans. I got a real education from this project. It was like a master’s program in music, video, photography, mixing, mastering, and even the business side of things.

Supporting Real Creatives

Some people suggested using AI to cut costs, especially with so much talk about AI in music. But I want to give my audience original work, not just the easy way out. I also believe in supporting real creatives. I pay them what they ask for, instead of trying to haggle or avoid paying them, which is something other artists and companies have done to me. I don’t want to be part of that cycle.

The Power of Visuals

When I was shooting the album visuals, the writer strikes were happening, and many professionals I worked with had few gigs that summer. I’m proud I could support talented visual artists during that tough time. It’s clear that music makes a lot more money when it’s paired with something visual – like commercials, TikTok trends, concerts, or TV shows. Video is valuable, and that’s why video views are worth more than audio streams. It’s just more entertaining for most people.

Marketing, Streams, and YouTube

There was no marketing budget for the album. When I tried to get interest from PR companies or labels, it didn’t lead anywhere. So, I was on my own. I was happy to grow organically, and I got a decent number of streams. I was actually surprised by the support, especially since it was my first album and a new style for my fans.

The real issue wasn’t the number of streams, but that a million streams only earned about $1,200, and then the music got deleted anyway. If the album hadn’t been deleted, I wouldn’t have made this documentary. I would have just let it grow slowly. But since it was deleted, it saved me from wasting money on marketing. Imagine spending $50,000 on promotion for a link that’s now gone. At least the audio, videos, and photos can be reused.

Interestingly, my documentary has made more money in one week than my album did in a year and a half of streaming. We’ve been sold a dream about streaming that isn’t very profitable unless you get creative or join a label and hope for the best. YouTube, on the other hand, has been amazing for my career. It lets me show my music, storytelling, visuals, and build a brand while getting paid fairly.

Music Quality vs. Platform Hosting

Some people don’t like my music – pop, rap, or music with sexual humor – and that’s fine. But the idea that “trash music” should be deleted is wrong. My music might be trash to you, but satisfying critics isn’t a requirement for distribution. Platforms should host everyone equally if they follow the rules. Arguing that one style of music shouldn’t exist over another is just silly. All music deserves to be available. Think about it like this: what if it was your favorite artist, or even yourself, whose years of hard work got deleted for no reason?

Vanity Project? Not Quite.

Some thought the album was a vanity project because more money went into visuals than music. But when you look at the costs, videos often bring in more value. Plus, if it were just a vanity project, I wouldn’t be sharing all the struggles and collaborators. You don’t see the years of practice and lessons that go into art; you just see the final product. Here, you get to see the whole journey.

Touring and Merch Realities

The High Cost of Touring

A common question is, "Why didn't you tour?" For most music genres, people don’t buy tickets to hear songs they don’t know. DJs have it easier; they can tour with just a laptop and headphones. They also mix in other artists’ popular songs, which takes some pressure off. Pop artists, singers, and bands have a much harder time. Touring involves dancers, costumes, stage design, band members, crew, and lots of technical staff. Plus, you have to split profits with bandmates, agents, managers, and lawyers. Touring as a female pop artist is incredibly expensive and would cost way more than $100,000 just to travel around. Flights, hotels, buses – it all adds up. For now, I’d rather stay home making YouTube videos for thousands of people than do local shows for small crowds.

Merch Mishaps

I’ve had mixed experiences with selling merchandise. I haven’t done physical merch for this album. I do sell digital products like vocal templates and sample packs on my website, which has been life-changing. But when I tried selling artist merch with a company that seemed reliable, it was a disaster. They handled printing and shipping, but after a couple of months, they ghosted me. They stopped fulfilling orders and never sent any accounting or payouts. I found out later my merch was still listed on my Spotify profile. Eventually, I got the leftover stock instead of the money they owed me. The problem is, international shipping costs more than the actual item, leaving customers or me paying way too much. Now, I just give away merch to fans in the US who show extra support.

Why Not Re-Upload to Spotify?

So, why not just re-upload the album with a different company and hope to get the streams back? Because audio streams are worth so little now. I can’t agree to get paid fractions of a penny per stream. Even platforms that claim to pay more are still paying tiny amounts. It’s embarrassing. I don’t need Spotify’s clout or analytics for a touring agent. And I definitely don’t want my work deleted for no reason or have my profile spammed with fake songs.

YouTube has been fantastic. It lets me share my music, stories, and visuals, build a brand, and get paid fairly. I’m excited to use my album’s content for future videos and studio sessions. Thanks again to everyone who shared my story. If you want to watch my other documentary, "This Is Not My Song," or the original story about my album being deleted, check the links below. See you next time!