Nostr Web Client

https://henrikflyman.com/nostr/future_vs_legacy_world.webp

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about value-for-value, Nostr, and how music might evolve outside the legacy industry. My sense is that we’re going to see the old and new worlds operating side by side for a number of years, each serving different audiences, before anything fully settles into its final form.

It’s probably unrealistic to expect many established legacy artists to join this space anytime soon. The reasons are many, including long-lasting contracts, increased financial uncertainty, and limited ways to reach genuine music fans. The two worlds aren’t very compatible and don’t translate well into each other.

It may be far more likely to see a new class of established artists emerge entirely within the v4v universe. Their street cred would be sky-high, since it would come from genuine listener support rather than marketing budgets or corporate hype.

I think we only need a handful of real success stories before things start spreading organically. Artists who are creating because they actually have something to say are probably the first ones who will get curious about this model. They are often underserved in the legacy world.

People often point to the Radiohead “pay what you want” release as a successful example of direct fan support. It was an important moment, but it does not fully translate here. Today, v4v largely relies on Bitcoin, which still limits the size of the potential support. That friction will likely decrease over time.

What could really accelerate adoption is the possibility for artists to earn meaningful income while reaching an audience that is actively looking for new, independent music. If that happens, it would not only strengthen v4v as a model, but also help onboard more people to Bitcoin itself. I think this is still early, and I’m curious to see where it goes. The potential for a bright future is definitely here.

#grownostr #wavlake #v4v #bitcoinMusic #music #deMu #valueVerse #musicstr #stemstr #value4value #musicians #tunestr #fountain #v4vmusic

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Discussion

Hash Power Music 1w ago

We have the ability to include cashapp integration as well. Payable with usd and converted on back end into bitcoin

Henrik Flyman 1w ago

I didn’t know that. 👍 Sounds really cool. However this develops, I think we’ll start seeing stronger results once some kind of standard emerges, where potential supporters are offered a clear set of options, including their preferred transaction model. Since the v4v idea relies heavily on spontaneous contributions, removing as much friction as possible is probably key.

On the receiving end, though, it makes a lot of sense to keep things strictly in BTC, and maybe XMR. It’s not only simpler, it also aligns with where things seem to be heading anyway. If anything, this just helps speed up the transition away from fiat.

Aaron of Essex 1w ago

I like this take and agree both systems will work alongside each other for years. For new artists this should be the first place they should publish their stuff.

We want new original music, music devoid of legacy contracts, labels and lawyers. (although I welcome any act crossing the rubicon to publish to the DeMu network)

Another point re the success of the Radiohead experiment was that the band were already massive because of the labels. Which made their pay what you want model a success.

The labels existed to create an audience for the band Radiohead had a huge fan base.

So it will be fascinating to see how the v4v model creates new audiences and what level of support a band can achieve, going down this road.

I"d love @joemartins take on this.

Henrik Flyman 1w ago

I agree that it would be great if this became the preferred option for newcomers. In the end, I think it comes down to two factors.

1. The size of the potential audience.

2. The possibility of earning some income.

If income is not really there, then audience size becomes the deciding factor. If income is there, then audience size matters less.

I’m in a somewhat unique position. I have a long background in the legacy music world, which I chose to step away from over a decade ago by going independent, while still co-existing within the legacy space. Because I own all my music and masters, I have the freedom to make whatever decisions I want. Most of my existing supporters are still in the legacy ecosystem, so I’ll continue to maintain a presence there. At the same time, over the past few months I’ve been exploring the v4v space out of curiosity, to see whether I can find a new audience here. I’d really love to see that happen, since I never fully resonated with the old model.

By doing it this way, I can follow first-hand how the old model keeps breaking down, while simultaneously being part of building whatever comes next.

PS. I intend to explore the DeMu network more closely in 2026.

Hash Power Music 1w ago

After running the numbers for several artists over a handful of years, from a percentage perspective the income is magnitude higher. Not even the same sport much less same ballpark.

However, in pure current value, its absolutely not there yet. No one is going demu only right now for music and earning a living wage on that alone.

All that said, we just need to scale up for this to be sustainable. The potential audience for streaming is massive. In the bitcoin space alone, if we could snap our fingers and make every bitcoiner demu only, it would be sustainable for all.

I believe in a stairstepped approach. The past 2-3 years I have been focused on bringing awareness to artists. We now have a robust growing library but content outpaced fans now. My focus for the coming year is going to shift to user experience and attracting paying fans.

Its a flywheel approach in which artists and new music attract fans. Paying fans in turn attract more artists and new music.

Henrik Flyman 1w ago

Many good points, and I think your approach is pretty solid. I have a good feeling about 2026. Like you, I’m playing the long game. I’ll definitely continue to explore and add to this space. I’m learning a lot and appreciate what you and others are doing to move the needle.

Hash Power Music 1w ago

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Joe Martin 🎶🟠⚡ 1w ago

I chose to fully embrace value for value because it is a direct fan to artist model. You can create the music you truly believe in, rather than trying to appease musical gatekeepers in the traditional industry. It seems that to succeeded in the current music business, you either already have to have contacts in a place of influence or already come from money. This has just been my observation over the last decade. Also, the whole industry is completely woke. Venues, labels, radios, festivals, booking agencies etc. They won't even touch you unless you fall into their group think. #V4V and #nostr is more than just a monetary upgrade for musicians. It gives the middle finger to the current industry and says, 'I'm going to make the music I want, build genuine connections with my fans who can support my career directly and there's nothing you can do about it.' So punk rock, I love it!