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Last week, we were talking about the huge impact of Deezer’s statistics.
This week, we’re talking about something that is gaining traction for a second time. Only this time, it is a bit bigger.
So you’re one of the first people in the know unless you follow record releases, limited editions, and music activism.
Buying silence.
But no, not like a bribe…
Let’s listen to…nothing →
SongsBrew Editorial
Is This What We Want?
Maybe you missed it in February, but there was an album of silence uploaded to Spotify and other streaming services called Is This What We Want?
But before we get into that, here is what it reminded us of: John Cage 4.33, but maybe with a little more weight.
If you haven’t heard it (which is a joke that not everyone will get yet), here it is:
Watching it is more interesting than a Spotify link. Either way, don’t adjust your headphones or volume. It is, in fact, the silence you think it is. The solo performance is by William Marx in that YouTube video. The idea being that everything is music. Because it isn’t about the silence, it highlights, through the space it creates, ambient sounds which are the music. The accidental sounds of life.
It was built for a purpose, though. Here is an excerpt about it that gives the context that might be missing:
It has been called the “silent piece,” but its purpose is to make people listen. “There’s no such thing as silence,” Cage said, recalling the première. “You could hear the wind stirring outside during the first movement. During the second, raindrops began pattering the roof, and during the third people themselves made all kinds of interesting sounds as they talked or walked out.” Indeed, some listeners didn’t care for the experiment, although they saved their loudest protests for the question-and-answer session afterward. (further down in the article)
That last thought ruled Cage’s life: he wanted to discard inherited structures, open doors to the exterior world, “let sounds be just sounds.” Gann writes, “It begged for a new approach to listening, perhaps even a new understanding of music itself, a blurring of the conventional boundaries between art and life.”
Very conceptual. But it set a semi-blueprint for Is This What We Want?
A Silent Album.
Back to February 2025. Is This What We Want? It was released on streaming services (which are notoriously terrible for pay but also host millions of AI-generated songs right now), which is amusing when you consider the purpose.
More than 1000 artists wrote" this silent album (yes, silent) to protest the UK government's proposed change to the copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work - music, artworks, text, and more - without a licence.
It isn’t completely silent, though. What you hear is artistic spaces WITHOUT the music: performance spaces and empty studios. So, much like John Cage’s 4.33, there is noise to be heard, but it’s just the sound we might hear if there were no more musicians. It represents the impact that 1000 artists consider would happen if what they produce could be ‘stolen’. All profits go to Help Musicians, because yes, you can buy this silence.
A new addition to the album of clanking, air hiss, and random sounds is Paul McCartney. And this has made the news a little more mainstream.
Artists include Kate Bush, Pet Shop Boys, Annie Lennox, Tori Amos, Damon Albarn, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, The Clash, Hans Zimmer, and Imogen Heap; the list goes on.
So what makes it special? Well, aside from the 1,000 artists and the concept, it is a collectible: there are only 1,000 gold-foiled, numbered copies. Right now, the conversation about music and AI is hot and heavy, but one day, we will have moved beyond it (one way or the other), and in the meantime, there are things like this that support artists and become a marker of the time. The vinyl will be released on December 8th.
The track listing spells out a simple message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Love it or hate it, it is £28 plus shipping, and is, as Prince said, a Sign ‘O The Times. (and yes, we have it pre-ordered).
It remains to be seen whether this will have an impact beyond the profits going to Help Musicians. Is silence enough to change things, or is it too much of a gimmick? Will this make the point for people who aren’t already onside? Let’s see.
News elsewhere
Music Ally music marketing week comes to an end this evening, and it has been PACKED with strategy, tips, tricks, and more from all corners of the music industry. Big focus on the shape of 2026, so we’re excited to share that and some predictions later in the year (not that there is much year left).
Spotify is at it again, changing its subscription options by removing DUO and Family, and introducing Platinum. Currently focused on India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Indonesia, and the UAE. If uptake is good, we might see this elsewhere.
A school in the UK has banned students from singing this year’s biggest songs from K-pop Demon Hunter. “Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community are "deeply uncomfortable" with references to demons.”
Amazon Music added a Share to TikTok button in its efforts to be as cool as the other music streaming platforms. Along with its new social feature for fan clubs, it might be the new streaming platform of choice for many.
And one we love, UMG and The Roundhouse have teamed up to create a new digital platform for young people to develop skills and access creative learning. On the partnership, Michaela Greene, Partnerships and Impact Director at The Roundhouse, said: “Together, we’re giving more young people the chance to find their voice, grow in confidence, learn new skills, and unlock their potential through creativity. At a time when access to the arts matters more than ever, this partnership is a powerful statement of belief in the next generation.”
A Final Note
“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.” - Beethoven.
Until next time,
