“One of the main reasons I’m able to sustain a living as an independent artist is through a subscription plan I run,” reveals Ben McGarvey (Minute Taker) during his ‘In the Key of Q’ interview.. “Over the years, it’s become my biggest income stream. It’s kind of like having a little salary as an independent artist.”
In this brief, matter-of-fact statement, McGarvey touches on something vital about creative survival in our current musical landscape. His “Secret Songs” subscription series—approaching 500 subscribers at the time of the interview—represents an increasingly important alternative to the dominant streaming economy. It’s a model that deserves closer examination, not just as a personal success story, but as a potential template for other artists creating deeply personal work outside mainstream commercial structures.
Beyond the Streaming Economy
The economic realities of music streaming have been well-documented. With major platforms like Spotify paying approximately £0.0033 per stream, artists need hundreds of thousands of plays to generate even modest income. For musicians outside the mainstream—especially those creating more intimate, niche, or experimental work—these numbers simply don’t add up.
This system particularly disadvantages artists like McGarvey, whose thoughtful, introspective electronic compositions and explicitly queer perspectives aren’t designed for algorithm-friendly virality. As music business analyst Mark Mulligan noted in Music Industry Blog, “The streaming economy was built for the mainstream.” It rewards broad appeal rather than deep connection—precisely the opposite of what Minute Taker’s music offers.
McGarvey’s subscription model inverts this relationship. Rather than chasing massive numbers of casual listeners, he cultivates direct relationships with a smaller number of dedicated supporters. This approach values depth over breadth, quality over quantity, and long-term sustainability over viral moments.
The Secret Songs Model
McGarvey’s “Secret Songs” series functions similarly to platforms like Patreon but with a specifically musical focus. Subscribers pay a monthly or annual fee for access to exclusive music—”homemade albums” with specific themes that aren’t available through mainstream streaming services.
The approach offers numerous advantages beyond the financial. As McGarvey explains, it provides income stability “especially when you’re just spending time writing and recording songs, you know, you haven’t actually got a release coming out that year.” This consistent support allows for creative periods that might not immediately yield commercial releases—a crucial breathing space for artistic development.
The model also creates a different relationship with fans—one built on consistent support rather than sporadic consumption. As creative economy researcher Kevin Kelly has argued, many independent creators can sustain their practice with “1,000 true fans” who provide direct support, rather than millions of casual listeners. McGarvey, approaching half that number, demonstrates the viability of this approach even at a modest scale.
The Historical Context
While subscription models might seem like a digital-age innovation, they actually have deep historical roots in artistic patronage. From Renaissance patrons sponsoring painters to 18th-century musical subscriptions funding Mozart’s concerts, direct support has long sustained artists creating work outside mass-market appeal.
The modern musical subscription has particular precedent in the fan club models of previous decades. Independent labels like Sarah Records in the late 1980s and early 1990s offered subscription services where dedicated fans received every release automatically, providing the label with stable cash flow and the freedom to release music that might not otherwise find commercial distribution.
What’s different now is the disintermediation—the removal of middlemen like labels, distributors, and retailers. Digital platforms allow artists like McGarvey to manage these relationships directly, retaining both creative control and a larger percentage of the financial support.
Creating Outside the Algorithm
Perhaps the most significant aspect of McGarvey’s approach is how it liberates creation from algorithmic imperatives. While streaming platforms subtly push artists toward certain formats—shorter songs, attention-grabbing openings, less experimentation—subscription models allow for following creative instincts without concern for algorithmic favor.
McGarvey’s “Secret Songs” collections, each built around specific themes, reclaim the album format at a time when streaming has pushed toward single-track thinking. This approach preserves space for the kind of conceptual, cohesive musical statements that McGarvey values, as evidenced by his comment: “I’m very, very much an album person… I’m thinking about what is side A, what’s side B.”
The subscription model also supports greater artistic risk-taking. When income isn’t tied to immediate mass-market appeal, creators can explore less commercial sounds, political themes, or deeply personal material without financial penalty. For McGarvey, whose music often explores queer experience, depression, and historical gay narratives, this freedom is particularly valuable.
The Community Dimension
Beyond financial stability, subscription models create something increasingly rare in digital music consumption: community. While streaming platforms optimize for individual listening, subscription services foster direct relationships between artists and supporters who often develop connections with each other around shared appreciation.
This community aspect is particularly significant for artists addressing marginalized experiences. For LGBTQ+ musicians like McGarvey, these direct connections can provide not just financial support but affirmation that their perspectives matter—that there’s an audience eager for authentic queer narratives in music.
Some subscription-based artists take this community dimension further, offering subscriber forums, video chats, or even in-person events. While McGarvey doesn’t mention these elements specifically, the “Secret Songs” series inherently creates a sense of belonging—subscribers access music others can’t, creating a form of cultural participation that goes beyond passive consumption.
Practical Considerations
For artists considering similar models, McGarvey’s approach offers practical insights. Rather than replacing conventional releases, his “Secret Songs” series complements them—creating a parallel stream of more intimate, experimental material while still maintaining presence on streaming platforms with official releases.
The multi-tiered structure he mentions (“different tiers with different kind of perks available”) follows proven subscription principles of providing entry points at various price levels. This approach recognizes financial diversity among supporters while creating aspirational levels for those who can contribute more.
Perhaps most importantly, McGarvey’s success demonstrates that these models don’t require massive followings. While major artists like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have experimented with direct-to-fan approaches, the model proves most transformative for independent artists with smaller but dedicated audiences—precisely those least served by the streaming economy.
Technology and Tools
The proliferation of platforms supporting direct artist funding has dramatically simplified implementing subscription models. Beyond dedicated creative platforms like Patreon and Ko-fi, musicians can utilize specialized services like Bandcamp’s subscription feature or Substack’s recently launched music publishing options.
These platforms handle the technical complexities of recurring payments, content delivery, and communication, allowing artists to focus on creation rather than administration. The removal of these barriers has democratized the subscription approach, making it viable for artists at earlier career stages or with more limited technical resources.
For those seeking even greater independence, open-source tools like Ghost can power fully artist-owned subscription platforms without third-party dependencies. This approach requires more technical knowledge but offers maximum control and eliminates platform fees.
The Future of Musical Support
As the limitations of the streaming model become increasingly apparent, particularly for independent and niche artists, direct support approaches like McGarvey’s seem likely to grow in importance. Rather than representing a throwback or workaround, they may actually indicate a future where musical revenue streams become more diversified and personalized.
We’re already seeing the emergence of hybrid models where artists maintain streaming presence for discovery while developing direct relationships for sustainable support. This approach recognizes the promotional value of streaming platforms while acknowledging their limitations as primary income sources.
What makes McGarvey’s example particularly valuable is its modest scale and clear success. Without celebrity status or major label backing, he has built a sustainable model that supports ongoing creation on his own terms. “Nearly at 500 subscribers now,” he notes—a number that might seem small by viral standards but represents a transformative level of direct support.
Beyond Financial Transactions
Perhaps most importantly, models like “Secret Songs” transform music from product to relationship. In an era where streaming has increasingly commodified music as content for algorithmic distribution, subscription approaches reestablish the direct connection between creator and audience that has historically nurtured the most meaningful art.
When McGarvey describes his subscription as “a little salary as an independent artist,” he’s gesturing toward something profound: sustainable creation doesn’t require mass-market appeal or corporate backing, just genuine connection with enough people who value your specific artistic voice.
For listeners, too, this model offers something increasingly rare: the opportunity to directly support artistic visions they believe in, rather than having their attention monetized through advertisements or their listening habits harvested for data. It creates a more honest and transparent relationship between creator and audience, one based on mutual benefit rather than extraction.
This approach seems particularly fitting for music that, like McGarvey’s, often addresses themes of connection, isolation, and finding community. The subscription model doesn’t just fund the creation of this work—it embodies its values, creating direct relationships that counter the very alienation the music often explores.
In a musical landscape increasingly dominated by algorithmic distribution and corporate gatekeeping, McGarvey’s “Secret Songs” offers a heartening reminder that alternatives exist—that it remains possible to create deeply personal, uncommercial work and find the support necessary to sustain it. For other independent artists seeking sustainable paths forward, it provides not just inspiration but a practical template for nurturing direct connection in an increasingly mediated musical world.
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