By the Numbers
Data journalism for musicians. We take real, sourced numbers — streaming payouts, catalog stats, income breakdowns — and combine them in ways nobody else does, to answer the questions that actually matter: what the odds really are, what a stream is really worth, and where you already stand.
9 posts
Why Songs Keep Getting Shorter (and Whether You Should Care)
The average hit lost half a minute since 1990, and it's no accident — it's economics. A data look at the shrinking song, the 30-second rule that drives it, and whether the trend is finally reversing.
What a Stream Is Really Worth: The Exchange Rate Nobody Shows You
A stream pays about $0.004. That number is useless on its own. The useful version is an exchange rate — how many streams one t-shirt, one Bandcamp sale, or one sync placement is actually worth. The answers reframe everything.
The Real Cost of Making a Song: 1990 vs. Now
A hit record once required a studio that cost more per day than most people make in a month. Today it requires a laptop and a free tab. A look at how the cost of making music collapsed — and what that actually means.
The 86% Under 1,000 Streams: What They Have in Common (And the Small Things That Move You Out)
86% of tracks get fewer than 1,000 plays a year. Everyone quotes it as a death sentence. But look at what's actually in that 86% — and the boring, repeatable things that correlate with climbing out of it.
Old Music vs. New Music: Who's Actually Winning the Streaming War?
For years the story was grim: old catalog was eating new music alive, 70% of the market. Then the data flipped. A look at the surprising tug-of-war between the past and present of music — and what it means for a new artist.
How Long Until You're Good? The Real Timeline of Learning Music Production
You've heard '10,000 hours.' It's a misquote of the actual research — and the real science of skill is far more useful, and far more hopeful, for anyone learning to produce.
Catalog Math: Why Your 30th Song Will Outwork Your First
120,000 songs are uploaded every day, yet half of all streaming happens on old catalog tracks. Combine those two facts and a strategy nobody frames mathematically falls out: the size of your catalog matters more than the quality of any single release.
The Bedroom Producer's Odds: A Map From First Beat to Making a Living
Everyone quotes the scary streaming stats. Nobody draws the whole funnel — from the first loop you open to the tiny number of people who make a living. Here's the map, with real numbers, and where you already are on it.
The Artist Milestones That Actually Matter: A Field Guide to How Well You're Really Doing
Everyone's chasing a million plays and feeling like a failure at 3,000. But 3,000 plays is genuinely good — you just have no context. So here's the context: a mega-list of real milestones, each with the actual stat that proves how rare it is.