As our beloved music emporium continues to fall into disrepair through lack of financial input one issue seems to be dividing us all.
Streaming services (I've named Spotify as they are getting the most publicity, but please read here others based on similar models), do you love them or hate them?
By the way, as a footnote - for those of you not familiar with Marmite, it's a brand name for a British food spread that promotes itself as something that you'll LOVE or HATE.
Back to the issue in question, streaming services seem to divide loyalty. They have divided all interested parties in the musical game and invoked intense passion over the last few years.
It seems you either LOVE streaming or HATE streaming, there is no in-between. Spotify says it has 40 million or so happy paying customers who love the service and long may it continue. They, of course, dangle the carrot of un-told riches to musicians saying the money will improve with more subscriptions. But the money is so poor that many musicians are walking away feeling insulted degraded and in fear of this being the final nail in the coffin of musical art form.
Many high profile musicians are now thinking twice about giving the rights to Spotify. Following on from Taylor Swift lifting her catalogue (see Rolling Stone article) many others are now following her stand.
This is important because as creators of music it is often forgotten that musicians DO have a choice where there music is heard.
Now I don't pretend to be a songwriter in the same league as any of the above mentioned, but, I do create music and I do hold the rights to my creations and I do have a voice over where my music goes and I'm thinking, this is worth something that money can't ever buy. A voice to say what happens to my music.
And in case you are wondering, no, my last single "Dance with me", I did not give Spotify the rights to expose my music. This was a choice I made as an owner of an original music creation. I too feel insulted at the derogatory re-numeration package Spotify offers.
But many millions of people will tell you how wonderful it is. It's "of the moment". "Beyond their wildest dreams", "Just like radio - what's your problem", "A gateway to millions of listeners for un-heard of artists".
Whatever your viewpoint is, it's your right to have it. I applaud that and I would love to hear it.
It is also a right of musicians and creators of art to have a say where their art goes and I'd say to you "Don't forget you have control over your content. Without your music Spotify doesn't exist. It's you that is running the show and you will live or die by your decisions". Great movements and social change come from small, collective actions of individuals. I hope in my not providing content to Spotify I am doing my bit to change the future of music delivery systems.
But then again I may be wrong. The future may be in streaming. It may evolve to a business model agreeable to all parties. But if I am wrong, at least I will know that I have used my democratic right of freedom to do as I choose and that's a great thing, surely bigger than the music itself.