Music streaming is kind of whack.

Large music streaming platforms are not only starving musicians – they're under-nourishing Music itself.

Spotify pays an average of $0.004 per stream. Their rates are opaque and conditional, based on calculations that strongly favor the top 1% of popular artists. Smaller artists then have to split their earnings with labels and digital distributors, whom they rely on to get their music on the platform in the first place.

That's not all – the way we listen to music has changed. Streaming apps have transformed music fandom into a flat and passive feed. Every album is reduced to a jpeg and a boring list of numbers and titles. Algorithmic playlists replace the personal and social journeys of discovery that historically have made music a rich substrate for vibrant subcultures. Instant access and infinite abundance have devalued the intimate connections fans once built with their favorite artists and albums.

Less endless feed, more feeding the fishies.

Freshhh Fishhh is a radical new experiment in music distribution, aiming (1) to introduce more fair, lucrative, and transparent payment models for musicians, and also (2) to make music discovery fun and magical again, using elements of gamification and digital rarity.

Explore the "Ocean of Discovery" to find new songs (fish), which organically cluster into schools based on genre and vibe. Directly support artists via in-app currency (Fish Food). Tip artists in tiny increments or large sums, as a solidarity mechanism akin to sidewalk busking. If you feed any fish more than $1, it can be added to your personal collection.

Your personal collection lives in your "Home Tank," which you can visit any time. Nurture your favorite fish there, decorate your tank, and build your own gorgeous musical aquarium.

Join the Beta Program.

If you're reading this, you're early to the platform. Freshhh Fishhh is not currently taking any payments, but we are testing the "Ocean of Discovery" and other features, focused on creating a magical experience. If you are a musician interested in getting your songs in the Ocean, and helping us direct the currents of development with your feedback, please sign up here!

Beta access for fan accounts is coming soon too.

About Us.

Freshhh Fishhh is created by Peter Nichols, a musician and developer based in Los Angeles. Peter joined the DIY music world in the Myspace era, and spent 15 years recording friends in his basement, touring to house shows, running a small label, and promoting warehouse shows, before writing a line of code. In addition to his involvement in the music community, Peter now runs the game design studio Elfsend, which creates experimental video games and digital experiences like this one.

Elfsend and Freshhh Fishhh are a current member of the New Museum's cultural incubator NEW INC.