Unstream

Hi there! I built Unstream for two purposes: help fellow listeners find better ways to support the artists they love more easily, build their own libraries, and ultimately reduce their dependency on streaming, while also encouraging fellow artists to trust & use these alternative models rather than relying on streaming as a conduit to success.

It started as a way to help me build my own music library and get off streaming. As a consumer, I’ve paid for streaming services for over a decade, mostly Apple Music. But I’ve wanted to cancel it and rediscover the joy of finding new music myself, to give Apple less of my money, and to give more of that money to the artists whose music I love. In exploring this, I learned just how many of my favorite artists post & sell their music on Bandcamp, as well as other platforms I learned about on my journey.

As an independent musician too, I've grown disenchanted by the streaming ecosystem, and I ended up finding much more success building an audience on my own on Bandcamp. I ended up making over $2200 in two years, despite a tiny following online & having not performed live during that period at all. I’ve now seen the success of pursuing this path as an independent musician, and I want to encourage fellow artists explore these alternative platforms as homes for their music.