Jesse Beaman, an ambient composer based in Mexico City, joins a growing number of artists who are no longer making their music available on Spotify. He cites the platform’s requirement for musicians to have 1,000 yearly streams to receive royalties, as well as CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in Helsing, a company that makes AI-powered defense weaponry.

While his platform may not be as big as other Spotify protestors like Deerhoof, Beaman’s career is marked with tours across four continents, video production, and collaborations with members of Interpol and M83. These connections have proven vital for his success.

KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour talks with Beaman about his complicated Latinx identity, his prolific network, and his stance against Spotify.

“Spotify is killing people’s attention span,” Beaman says in the interview. “Before you can even get connected to a certain artist, they’re trying to sell you on another artist.”

When it comes to distributing his music, Beaman is turning to Bandcamp and physical media like vinyl. No matter how you listen, he hopes fans will practice intentional listening: “If you can give music the focus it deserves, I’ll be happy.”

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photo by Kate Meyer

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