Just read an interesting article here about the Black Keys’ refusal to make their new album ‘El Camino’ available for streaming on Spotify. According to Keys drummer Patrick Carney, “for a band that makes a living selling music, it’s not at a point where it’s feasible for us”.

The article points out that it takes about 64 streams to equal one 99-cent iTunes purchase, and this has prompted artists such as Adele, Coldplay, and Tom Waits to keep their new albums off Spotify, at least for the first few months following release.

Spotify has responded that the company continues to make concerted efforts to create a forum for music via social media (hence their partnership with Facebook) and foster live music (free shows they have sponsored at Mercury Lounge in New York City over the summer). But while some artists praise the service for embracing the new cloud reality, others oppose the miniscule Spotify payouts in relation to payouts generated from the more traditional digital purchase model.

The debate as to whether Spotify is a benefit or harm to artists continues. We’d be interested to hear your thoughts…post them on the D’Eith and Company and/or Adagio Music Facebook pages.

- Kurt Dahl, Dec. 14, 2011