AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MY FANS

 The people running the streaming platform Spotify have decided to stop paying royalties to artists for tracks that accumulate fewer than 1,000 streams over the preceding 12 months.  This policy change affects some 86% of the tracks on Spotify and the independent artists who created them, as well as the distributors who serve these artists.

(Read Spotify's new policy here.)

Rather than remove these tracks, Spotify intends to keep them available for the public to play and enjoy, thus contributing to Spotify's profit margin.  They simply won't pay the creators of these tracks for this use of their work.

The amount of royalty money involved is not the issue for me so much as the idea that Spotify has decided that they are entitled to make money from my work but that I am not entitled to receive compensation for their doing so.

For this reason, I am initiating the process of removing my tracks from Spotify beginning today.

My music will, however, remain available on all other streaming platforms such as Pandora, Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon, etc., as well as on my Patreon channel (https://www.patreon.com/ThomasHallstenPaine) and in my Patreon Shop (https://www.patreon.com/ThomasHallstenPaine/shop).

I regret any inconvenience this action may cause you and hope for your understanding and continuing support.

Thank you for being a fan of my work.

'Lightning Bug Cafe' Is Now Live!

My latest composition is now live on multiple streaming services.  Click here for a list of links.  And thanks for listening.

 

The Remaster Of 'Once Upon A Time' Is Now Live

It came to my attention a short while ago that there was some faint background hiss in the vocal track of this release.  The remaster which corrects this problem is now live on several streaming platforms, some of which are linked here.  I hope you like the new remaster!

 

"Lightning Bug Cafe" Approved For Distribution

 

My latest song, Lightning Bug Cafe, has been approved by my distributor for release to streaming services worldwide.  The release date is February 23.  I wrote this song and recorded the vocal late last year.  Links will be forthcoming as soon as the song goes live.

"European Girls" Is Now Live

My song, European Girls, is now live on multiple streaming platforms.  Choose one from the link here and give it a listen.

 

My Latest Song, "European Girls," Approved For Release

 

My song, European Girls, has been approved for release to the music streaming services by my distributor, RouteNote.  I originally wrote this song in 2020 but didn't get around to recording it until earlier this year.  The scheduled release date is Friday, January 12, 2024.

Stay tuned for updates.

"Oh! Bid Me Not Forget" Is Live

This 1854 romantic ballad by Frederick Buckley was recorded in my studio in Thomas Young's Well-Temperament of 1799. I hope you enjoy hearing the music that entertained audiences in the middle of the 19th Century. As far as I can determine, this is the first and only recording of this song.

You can find links to this release on various streaming services here:

https://push.fm/fl/pgvpiig7