'How Do We Survive? We Adapt' – Shannon Smith On Withholding His Debut Album From Streaming Platforms At Launch

This May, Shannon Smith will be releasing his debut album, Out Of The Shadows, but not in a conventional way. In fact, if you’re hoping to pull up Spotify on the morning of its release, you’re likely going to be rather disappointed.

Why? Well, as Smith puts it’s, he’s “flipped the script”.

There’s no denying that artists have been getting a raw deal from the streaming giants, preventing them from making a livable wage due to the paltry sums of money they’re being awarded per stream.

As Smith has realised, there is one way to beat the system, and that’s to avoid streaming entirely, instead providing audiences with an incentive to buy physical copies of his forthcoming album in lieu of clicking ‘play’ on release day.

With Smith’s Out Of The Shadows currently scheduled for a May 2nd release (you can pre-order copies here), he’s opened up about the reasons behind the decision to withhold his new album from Spotify when it finally arrives. We’ll let Smith take it from here.

Let’s face it—streaming isn’t the golden ticket we were promised.  It’s more like Violet Beauregarde’s great gum experiment gone wrong—inflated expectations, a bad taste in your mouth, and in the end, you’re rolled out the door while the big guys keep running the factory.

If you think artists are making real money off Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music, let me break it down for you: a single stream on Spotify earns an artist about $0.004. That means to make the same as selling one $55 vinyl record, I’d need 13,750 streams – on just one song. Now multiply that across an entire album, and you see the problem. 

I love making music. I love sharing it. But making an album isn’t free. Between recording, mixing, mastering, artwork, production, PR, and distribution, this album is the most expensive “marketing budget” I’ve ever had. Yes, marketing. Because, for an independent artist, making a record is no longer a revenue stream—it’s a very expensive business card.

So, how do we survive? We adapt.

With my debut album, Out Of The Shadows, I’ve flipped the script. The album will not be on streaming services when it’s first released. Instead, I’m giving fans an actual reason to buy it.

Extended versions of songs will be exclusive to the physical album and digital download buyers. No Spotify shortcuts. No instant gratification. Just real music for real supporters. And let’s be honest—wouldn’t you rather own the music you love rather than rent it from a tech giant that can pull the plug whenever it feels like it?

Artists like me aren’t asking for charity. We’re not here shaking a tin cup, begging for scraps. We just need our audience to meet us halfway. You already buy coffee, movie tickets, craft beer, and whatever else brings you joy. A record lasts forever. A stream? It barely lasts a moment.

Of course there’s live shows! Sure, they help earn some coin and sell some merch, but with the dwindling number of venues prepared to host original artists it makes it just that little harder. And touring isn’t always profitable, and it’s certainly not sustainable for everyone. If an artist is going to keep making music, we need sales, not just streams.

So, if you love independent music—if you want it to exist beyond viral trends and playlist algorithms—support it the old-fashioned way. Buy the album. Because every purchase isn’t just about the music. It’s about keeping the artist, the songs, and the stories alive.

And if you’re still not convinced? Do the math. 13,750 streams or one album sale. It’s up to you.