Almost Famous

For artists trying to make an impact, interactions and distribution is the name of the game. Every song has a shot — but the harsh reality is Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram are designed to maximize user retention to increase advertising revenue, not artist success. If your music doesn't hook instantly, it disappears into the void.

The proof? In 2023, 45.7 million songs on Spotify didn't get a single play (Luminate Year-End Report, 2023).

Engagement Is Brutal

90% of engagement drops off after 30 seconds.

Most people decide to scroll away in the first 10–30 seconds. Platforms are built for attention spans, not artistry:

• Facebook & Instagram: Meta says 65% of users who watch the first 3 seconds will stay for 10 more. But most bail by 15–30 seconds.
• YouTube: Retention graphs nosedive in the first 30 seconds.
• TikTok: You've got 1-3 seconds. Engagement follows watch time.
• Twitter/X & Reels: Blink-and-you-miss-it. If it's not gripping, expect 70-90% drop-off.

And remember — likes, shares, and comments come from people who actually finish watching. If they bounce early, so does your impact.

Why This Happens

• Ad-based platforms prioritize profit, not creators.
• Media overload: 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
• Bots flood the system: Facebook removes over 1 million fake accounts per day.

It's not broken — it's built this way. That's why platforms like Substack and bushido are rising: to put creators in control, connect with real fans, and earn real money.

What Makes bushido Different?

bushido is an exchange that allows rightsholders who own legendary songs to set custom terms (license fee & splits) for artists to buy licenses for creating derivative works: edits, remixes and beyond. With publishing and master rights you can legally acquire the stems to register a new song and not worry about it being taken down for copyright infringement. bushido takes a 5% service fee for processing the license capped at $1,500 and does not own any shares in the derivative work.

A New Economic Ecosystem for Creativity

Music connects everything — art, video, fashion, gaming, storytelling. We started with music because it's the most broken industry and because our founders live and breathe it.

Just ask Brandon Boyd (Incubus), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park), Bob Lefsetz, or Irving Azoff — 99.9% of artists end up in debt to major labels, while others profit from their work illegally. Artifact 2012

Platforms like Substack proved it:

• 17,000+ writers earning directly
• Top 10 publishers made $25M+
• Readers have paid over $300M directly to writers

bushido is building the same path for music — not just software, but a movement.

We're:

• Reimagining distribution and ownership
• Rewarding collaboration through proper licensing
• Freeing artists from ads, middlemen, and broken platforms

The State of Social: Organic will always diminish over time

Social is more polluted than ever: Bots, spam, AI and noise cause diminishing returns for organic growth which is increasingly difficult to increase. Paid is necessary to break through the noise.

The Winning Strategy

Paying a distributor does not guarantee distribution, only uploads. After that you want to control the growth of your work. Here's how artists on bushido have seen the most success:

1. Build Community with direct supporters and earn word of mouth by cross promoting with artists

• Use Instagram, Spotify to test what resonates
• When it hits, amplify it with paid ads

2. Retargeting Is the Secret Sauce

• Paid lets you retarget people who already cared
• Instagram Reel popping off? Retarget viewers with IG/YouTube ads

3. Be Everywhere!

There is no right way to do it. Success looks different for everyone. The key is:

1. Performance Based Marketing
   1. Track KPI goals (reach, engagement, conversions)
   2. Make the decision to put your music on artist friendly platforms where 90% goes to the artist is proven to make you more than trying to earn 200,000 Spotify streams (appx cost $75,000)

Focusing on inspiring 10 people to subscribe to $100/mo = $12,000/year or more.

• One platform is too risky
• Cross-platform ads give you algorithm insurance

Who's Doing It Right?

• MrBeast: Organic YouTube + paid Facebook
• E-comm brands: Organic TikTok + paid IG retargeting
• Artists: Spotify virality + paid YouTube/IG to convert listeners into superfans

Introducing Almost Famous

Labels get it right only 5% of the time. With cross-platform targeting, bushido does better by giving artists the tools to break through the noise with precise targeting, support, & subscriptions.

Money earned from supporters is reinvested to reach more people interested in:

• Keywords that match your sound and style
• Locations where your music resonates
• Interests that align with your artistic vision

The result? Growing your community more sustainably over time and owning the data of your listeners.