Russ is sparking debate in the music industry with his latest take on streaming transparency. The independent rapper and producer recently suggested that platforms like Spotify should consider removing public stream and listener counts, arguing that the numbers can be misleading and fuel unfair comparisons between artists.
“Take the streams off Spotify,” Russ shared online. “People judge based on numbers without context. It hurts creativity and props up perception over quality.”
In an era where metrics often outweigh music, Russ’s point hits a nerve. Many emerging artists struggle to gain visibility because of the numbers game, while fans are often swayed more by popularity than sound. Removing public stream counts, he argues, could level the playing field and shift the focus back to the art itself.
With the industry increasingly driven by data, the question is: Should Spotify lead the charge in re-centering music over metrics?