James Blake Unveils Newest Direct Artist-To-Fan Platform with Vault.fm

After recently making headlines for his outspoken commentary on the challenges confronting musicians in today's music industry. James Blake has taken a bold step towards reshaping the streaming landscape. Last week, he teamed up with Vault.fm to unveil a brand new direct subscription platform. This innovative move empowers artists to connect directly with their fanbase, thus evading the traditional label and distributor model. Through this partnership, artists wield control over pricing, release schedules, and content selection, enabling an environment of full artistic autonomy.

Blake passionately articulates his vision for the platform, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize the relationship between artists and fans. With a monthly subscription fee of $5, supporters gain exclusive access to Blake's unreleased catalog on his own time. In his own words stating, “I’ve had to wait sometimes six months to be given the green light to release music. This cuts the middleman out completely. I’m gonna be able to drop way more music than I’ve ever been able to before.” 

Blake also aired his grievances concerning the pitiful revenue percentage artists earn from their art, informing his audience that artists earn between $0.003 USD and $0.005 USD per stream depending on that platform, which then gets split between label and management services. Furthermore, he says, “Music is not cheap to make, and I wanted to help incentivize musicians to actually spend more time making music.” More than just a streaming service, this initiative represents a paradigm shift aimed at addressing the financial constraints stifling creativity in the industry.