YK World

After a quick, unplanned, summer break – YK World is back! This one is a deep dive into Alternative Music Platforms; websites and communities where artists can sell & promote their work outside of the traditional music industry players. In other words, instead of thinking about Spotify, Apple Music and their ilk – let’s talk about Alternatives to those platforms such as Bandcamp, Subvert, Ratio and Ampwall.

This lengthy episode takes a look at four platforms that may be worth your while as an independent artist. We use a scorecard that weighs Pricing, Features, Communication, Aesthetics, and Community to determine where each is succeeding the most.

Most importantly, please let the episode serve as a reminder that mainstream streaming services do not care about independent artists. Full stop. If you’re building a career in music, it is my recommendation that you focus your efforts on promoting and participating in spaces where people care about music. Every platform in this episode fits that bill. Please do check them out.

Massive thanks to Mac Burrus for the theme and for the show music – they really elevate this one!

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Spotify Bundle drops Royalty Rate
https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/spotify-end-access-basic-music-only-plan-subscribers-who-cancel

The YK Records Guide to Releasing Music
https://www.ykworld.show/episodes/the-yk-records-record-release-guide-101/

Louisaah
https://www.instagram.com/louisahhh/

Bandcamp Alternative.com
https://bandcampalternative.com/

Bandcamp Daily
https://daily.bandcamp.com/

Bandcamp Notes Substack 🙁
https://bandcamp.substack.com/

Substack Has a Nazi Problem
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/substack-extremism-nazi-white-supremacy-newsletters/676156/

Don’t Call It a Substack
https://www.anildash.com/2024/11/19/dont-call-it-a-substack/

Nina Protocol is Gone
https://www.ninaprotocol.com/migrate

Subvert
https://subvert.fm

Ratio
https://ratio.fm/

Ampwall
https://ampwall.com/

Ampwall Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/ampwall.com

Ampwall + YK World
https://www.ykworld.show/episodes/ampwall-building-community-with-chris-grigg/

YK Records List 2026
https://ampwall.com/u/ykrecords/lists/yk-records-2026-releases

YK Records Playlist 2026
https://ampwall.com/u/ykrecords/playlist/yk-sampler-2026

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

An episode without a plan! Up the creek without a paddle! Flying without wings! Struggling with metaphors all over the place. We’re back with an existential question, a litany of good things to enjoy and a rundown on music you should be partaking in – much of it from YK Records.

—
Jessica Breanne – Electric Heart
https://ykrecords.com/releases/electric-heart

Little Joys Podcast with Jessica Breanne
https://littlejoys.jessicabreanne.com/

Hott Minute
https://hottminute.com/

Hott Minute New Episode
https://hottminute.com/episodes/nascar-long-weekend-you-could-be-a-pit-lizard/

Hott Minute themes
https://soundcloud.com/weownthistown/sets/hott-minute-themes

General Trust on Twitch
https://twitch.com/general_trust

Weather Rothko
http://rothko.joonas.wtf/

Tower Defense – Fit for Purpose / Artless Hands
https://ykrecords.com/releases/fit-for-purpose

Urban Heat Islands
https://science.nasa.gov/kids/earth/what-is-an-urban-heat-island/

Chris Crofton Advice King: Are Streaming Services Unfair to Musicians?
“Artles Hands” inspiration
https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts_culture/advice-king-are-streaming-services-unfair-to-musicians/article_fcebfb14-4240-11ec-967e-3398419a037f.html

Talking with Hands / Telefone – The Shit EP
http://ykrecords.com/releases/the-shit

General Trust – PLANS 2
https://ykrecords.com/releases/plans-2

Bleary – Little Brain
https://ykrecords.com/releases/little-brain

Swimming Sisters – Latest Hits, Vol 1
https://swimmingsisters.bandcamp.com/album/latest-hits-vol-1

Oscar Lindsey – Glitter
https://oscarlindsey.bandcamp.com/album/glitter

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

Four quick bites and a bit of an entree here; maybe something fast casual but not quite a proper sit down dinner. The metaphor is really reaching there but this one has some rapid fire updates about Infinite Limb, Bleary, General Trust, The Features and a few more morsels. There’s music, there’s background insight, there’s announcements.. all under 30 minutes.

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Meet Infinite Limb
http://instagram.com/infintelimb

Cloudmouth videos
https://cloudmouthmusic.com/

Ambient Sundays
https://www.instagram.com/ambient_sundays/

Nashville Record Store Day 2026
https://www.instagram.com/p/DW4hdLOiUtv/

Bleary Little Brain pre-order LP + digital
https://ykrecords.com/releases/little-brain

Bleary on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/bblearyy

General Trust – GT1 second run cassettes
https://ykrecords.com/releases/gt1

General Trust on Instagram
http://instagram.com/general_trust

General Trust on Bluesky (JLP)
https://bsky.app/profile/jlp.systems

The Features – The Mahaffey Sessions 1999
https://ykrecords.com/releases/the-mahaffey-sessions-1999

The Features – Some Kind of Salvation (2023)
https://thefeatures.bandcamp.com/album/some-kind-of-salvation-2023-remaster

The Features – Exhibit A (Original Sweet Tea Mix)
https://thefeatures.bandcamp.com/album/exhibit-a-original-sweet-tea-mix

The Features “God Save Rock n Roll” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS4AEpmv6lk

Major Label Debut with Bill Baird
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-team-movie-monster-with-bill-baird/id1774552470?i=1000759513909

Sound Team
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m8YUuXu8KWyeYiwVWjXU6m3G0AZPWgqvU

Bill Baird
https://billbaird.bandcamp.com/

TV Torso
https://tvtorso.bandcamp.com/album/clear-lake-strangler

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

After quitting Spotify, I found myself struggling with some of the missing bells and whistles of my new streaming platform, YouTube Music. Instead of endlessly griping about it, I did something about it! Join me deep in the goop of art, music and technology as I talk about why I built YewTube; a tool to make YouTube Music Embeds look nice.

—

Spotify Bundle drops Royalty Rate
https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/spotify-end-access-basic-music-only-plan-subscribers-who-cancel

YK Artist Playlists
https://ykrecords.com/playlists

YewTube: Better Youtube Music Embeds
https://yt.ykworld.show/

Bleary “foyer” + Little Brain pre-order
https://ykrecords.com/releases/little-brain

General Trust
https://generaltrust.website/

YK Records Mailing List
https://ykrecords.com/list

The Prudish Few – The Eagle Has Left the Building
https://ykrecords.com/releases/the-eagle-has-left-the-building

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

I don’t wanna be that guy that says “hey, listen to my new podcast!” and then two months pass between episodes. Nobody wants that! The reality is, it’s been two months since our last episode with Alex Mojaverian and I’m embodying that guy!

All we can do is move forward. Here’s my proof of life. I’m here! I love this show and have so many ideas to get out there. Thanks for staying tuned in. Check out these show notes.

—

Bleary
https://www.instagram.com/bblearyy

“Bug” / “sugar splint”
https://ykrecords.com/releases/bug

Fetching Pails
https://www.instagram.com/fetchingpails

“A Duchenne Smile”
https://ykrecords.com/releases/a-duchenne-smile

About the track
https://news.ykrecords.com/2026/02/fetching-pails-unveils-a-duchenne-smile/

Peachy
https://peachyfanclub.bandcamp.com/

Good Signal – endeavor with Caroline Bowman-Schneider
http://goodsignal.online/

Good Signal IG
https://instagram.com/goodsignal.online

Major Label Debut Podcast
https://linktr.ee/majorlabeldebutpodcast

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

In October of 2024, yk Records released Moment of Bleakness, the debut EP from Trash Man. A year later, we released the second EP Cool Until It’s Not. Both are quick bursts of rock music seeped in existential ponderings. They somehow manage to be extremely fun and also introspectively weighty about our time on this big rock.

To dig further into this, Alex Mojaverian (Trash Man himself) sat down to talk about his musical history, how Trash Man came to be, how motivating the thought of Death can be and many other lighthearted topics like aliens, ghosts, witches and the crushing forces of capitalism!

Seriously tho, the conversation reflects Trash Man’s music – it is a good time that doesn’t shy away from hard topics but somehow, miraculously, doesn’t feel like a bummer.

—

Trash Man Official Site
https://trashman.online

Jenni Mojaverian on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/jennimojwrites/

Hard Launch by Jenni Mojaverian
https://www.novelettebooksellers.com/product-page/hard-launch-may-3

Trash Man – Moment of Bleakness
https://ykrecords.com/releases/moment-of-bleakness

Trash Man – Cool Until It’s Not
https://ykrecords.com/releases/cool-until-its-not

Trash Man – Cool Until It’s Not Demos
https://trashman.online/cool-until-its-not-demos

Sad Baxter
https://sadbaxter.bandcamp.com/

Bill Eberle
https://billeberle.bandcamp.com/

Bleary
http://bleary.bandcamp.com/

Ranch Ghost
https://boombox.nashvillepubliclibrary.org/artists/ranch-ghost

Steve Albini ‘Fluffy’ Coffee
https://www.mashed.com/1580426/fluffy-coffee-steve-albini-drank-studio/

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk

It’s a dose of Quick Bites, aka QUIBI’S. A term that I am hellbent on taking back for our common lexicon. Truthfully tho, is it really Quick Bites if the episode is over 30 minutes? I say yes but some may say nay. You’ll have to weigh in via DM to let me know what you think.

We take a look at some recent YK news and the 3 latest YK releases. Chomp away!

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The Features & Glossary tickets – Jan 30th, 2026
https://thefeatures.com/jan-30-2026

Mixtape Memories
https://mixtape-memories.com/podcast

Zook – Evaporating
https://ykrecords.com/releases/evaporating

Jessica Breanne – Electric Heart
https://ykrecords.com/releases/electric-heart

Trash Man – Cool Until It’s Not
https://ykrecords.com/releases/cool-until-its-not

Trash Man – Cool Until It’s Not Demos
https://trashman.online/cool-until-its-not-demos

YK Holiday Compilation
https://ykrecords.com/holiday/2024/

Birdcloud 7”
https://ykrecords.com/releases/cool-christmas-silent-night

Tower Defense “Fit for Purpose”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ME2DLET9w

Theme song and episode music by Mac Burrus.

Find us at ykworld.show
Email me at michael [at] ykworld [dot] show.
Instagram: @records_yk
Bluesky: ykrecords.bsky.social
Threads: @records_yk