Critical Listening Episode 4: QUITTING STREAMING w/ Andy Cush of Hearing Things
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Aug 26, 2025 Andy Cush, writer, musician, and co-founder of Hearing Things, discusses the growing trend of artists and labels quitting streaming services. He explores the detrimental effects of streaming on listening habits and the ethical dilemmas artists face. Cush emphasizes the importance of centering musicians' voices in storytelling and shares insights on building DIY infrastructure for music. He also highlights alternatives like Catalytic Sound and offers tips for listeners to reduce streaming dependency for a richer listening experience.
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Quitting Streaming Looks Different
- Musicians are experimenting with many distinct ways of quitting streaming rather than a single unified model.
- A constellation of alternatives must exist to support different scales and artist goals.
Sunview Luncheonette Label Example
- Andy recounts talking with Chad Laird of SLSC, a physical-media-first label run from a DIY luncheonette.
- Laird withholds discographies from major platforms and emphasizes offline engagement and limited physical runs.
Apartment Server For DIY Distribution
- Nico Headley built a physical server in his apartment to host his label's music outside Bandcamp and Spotify.
- Andy emphasizes the server setup required only modest technical skill and is replicable for DIY labels.