If you don’t know, Spotify is an online streaming service that caters music straight from the artist to the listener. They have all of your favorites—Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Beyonce, and Mitski. However, Spotify doesn’t pay much. This is why artists, such as Kanye West, have protested using spotify and made their own streaming service or prohibited certain pieces being played on Spotify. “As of 2019, Spotify reported that it pays between $0.00331 and $0.00437 per stream. However, that amount still needs to be split among different people.” That’s not a lot for small artists, who are trying to share their passion projects on Spotify. Artists get a max of $800 for 10,000 streams, and as previously stated, that has to be split based on royalties and such. There isn’t much you can do to help, but you can raise the streams of any of these artists or other small artists you find and like. 

Indie Rock Artists

Bluphoria

Monthly listeners as of February 2022: 14,337

Genre: Pop rock/alternative (sub: psychedelic and southern rock)

Similar Artists: Blvck Hippie, The Animals, sleep well., beabadoobee

Website: http://www.bluphoriaband.com/

Song recommendations: 

Girl Like You

Devil

Saturn 17

Monthly listeners as of February 2022: 65,866

Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Pop Rock

Similar Artists: Sunday Cruise, Claud, mxmtoon, beabadoobee

Twitter: @saturn17music 

Song Recommendations: 

“could this be love?” and “ur not into me”

Future Teens

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 31,264

Genre: Alternative Rock/Emo Rock/Midwest Emo/Indie Rock

Similar Artists: Beach Bunny, Remember Sports, Remo Drive, Mom Jeans.

Website:  https://futureteensofamerica.com/

Song Recommendations: 

“In love or whatever” and “What is My Sign Again?”

P.S. Eliot

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 24,137

Genre: Alabama Indie/Pop Punk/Indie Rock

Similar Artists: Remember Sports, Diet Cig, Charly Bliss, Sleater-Kinney (love them)

Song Recommendations: 

Incoherent Love Songs

Sadie

The Irons

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 28,493

Genre: Alt rock

Similar Artists: Sleep well., the xx, Phantogram, Eli Josef, Jack Stauber

Song Recommendations: 

The Forever Poet

Hell

Blvck Hippie

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 40,975

Genre: “Sad boy indie rock”/Art pop/ Bubble grunge

Similar Artists: Bluphoria, Gully Boys, Indigo de Souza

Website: https://www.blvckhippie.com/

Song Recommendations: 

Answering Machine

Cloudy Days

For Tracy Hyde

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 17,473

Genre: Indie Rock/Alt Rock/Shoegaze/Dream Pop

Similar Artists: Manic Sheep, Art-School, 宇宙ネコ子, Mafumafu

Website: http://fortracyhyde.com/ 

Song Recommendations: 

“曖昧で美しい僕たちの王国” and “Girl’s Searchlight”

Indie Pop Artists

Blue Foster

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 91,332

Genre: Garage pop/Indie Pop/Pop

Similar Artists: Mom Jeans, Future Teens, The Scary Jokes, Human Petting Zoo

Instagram: @bluefosterrr

Song Recommendations: 

“IDK if I’m a Boy” and “Nice Docs, Baby!”

Sleep Well.

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 31,261

Genre:  Indie pop/electronica/indie pop rock

Similar Artists: Eli Josef, The Irons, Toledo, Brazos

Website: https://linktr.ee/sleepwelldot 

Song Recommendations: 

“Half of My Heart” and “Pictures of Dogs”

Hospitality

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 43,231

Genre: Stomp Pop/Indie Pop/

Similar Artists: Wye Oak,Widowspeak, Tennis, Thao, Voxtrot

Website: https://hospitality.bandcamp.com/music 

Song Recommendations: 

“Friends of Friends” and “Betty Wang”

Sir Babygirl

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 40,623

Genre: Indie Pop/Electro Pop/Bubblegrunge

Similar Artists: Charly Bliss, Diet Cig, Sidney Gish, Allie X

Website: https://sirbabygirl.bandcamp.com/

Song Recommendations: 

“Haunted House” and “Crush on Me (Outro)”

Eli Josef

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 19,077

Genre: Garage Pop/lo-fi

Similar Artists: Sleep Well., The Irons, password:password

Twitter: @elijosefonline 

Song Recommendations: 

Grocery Store

Dead Frogs

Punk/Post-Rock/Garage Rock/Shoegaze Artists

Death Lens

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 27,178

Genre: Surf Punk/Garage Punk/Action Rock

Similar Artists: Meth Wax, Fake Tides, Surf Curse

Website: https://deathlens.bandcamp.com/ 

Song Recommendations:

Paranoid

I Hate Baseball

Parannoul

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 

Genre: Shoegaze, Dreamo, 

Similar Artists: Weatherday, Candy Claws, Five Pebbles, Sweet Trip

Website: https://parannoul.bandcamp.com/ 

Song Recommendations:

“Beautiful World” and “Age of Fluctuation” 

Five Pebbles

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 21,823

Genre: Shoegaze/Noise Rock

Similar Artists:  Paranoul, Asian Glow, Weatherday, Nouns

Website: https://fivepebbles.bandcamp.com/album/forgetmenot 

Song Recommendations:

“Kiss” and “Cat’s Tongue”

Charly Bliss

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 67,814

Genre: Bubblegrunge/Indie Punk/Modern Power Pop

Similar Artists: Remember Sports, Diet Cig, Weezer (but better), Cherry Glazerr

Website: https://www.charlybliss.com/ 

Song Recommendations: 

Black Hole

Heaven

Other Artists

Katie Dey

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 27,285

Genre: Electronica/Experimental Pop

Similar Artists: 100 gecs, Alex G, A.G. Cook

Website: https://katiedey.bandcamp.com/ 

Song Recommendations:

“Leaving (Laura Les Remix)”and “Hurting (June Jones Remix)”

Wished bone

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 22,470

Genre: Folk(?)/Small Room/Indie

Similar Artists: Ratboys, Remember Sports

Website: https://wishedbone.bandcamp.com/album/sap-season 

Song Recommendations:

Pollinate me

Cops

Steve Fisher

Monthly listeners as of Feb. 2022: 16 (yes 16, i’m not joking)

Genre: Blues Rock/Country Rock/Folk

Similar Artists: The Animals, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Big Thief 

Website: https://stevefisher1.bandcamp.com/album/a-boys-life-in-texas 

Song Recommendations:

Happy Hour

Holding Back the Sea

P.S.- He opened for the Big Thief concert and had a beautiful voice, even though he is older (probably late 60s?) now. His music tells a story and his delivery is fantastic, I highly recommend checking him out if you like the genres listed.