We’re live. Two years ago, we released a plan. Today, our collectively owned music platform is open. Explore. Support artists directly. Join the co-op. It’s only the beginning. Sincerely Ours, Subvert

500 new co-op members yesterday @subvert.fm is launching on tuesday

@subvert.fm is launching in a week

Artist-owned platforms are a threat to “artist friendly” platforms

On day 1, @subvert.fm will have over 20,000 releases Cooperative platforms are inevitable

Subvert had a meetup in Melbourne, Australia last weekend No central planning, no sign off - just a member taking the initiative to organize They made an unofficial smaller staple-bound zine to culture jam around Melbourne

"Direct-to-artist" platforms take 15% off the top. That's not direct! That's a middleman. On Subvert, artists and labels pay 0% platform fees. At checkout, buyers can choose to contribute to the co-op. Across our first 1,000 transactions, the average contribution is 45.3% (!)

I contributed to these long discussions. Impressive how well Iz and Hannah synthesized it all.

@subvert.fm published the most comprehensive and well-considered AI policy for a music platform. It was written by 68 artists. If you think that artists aren't capable of self-governance, it's your paternalism and lack of imagination that we are fighting against

Brick by brick ➡️ the Mondragon of Music

Generosity is a mind-altering drug

Subvert just hit 20,000 co-op members and co-owners I wrote a newsletter about some personal inspirations for building a cooperative: a punk, a priest, and an anarchist open.substack.com/pub/cultures...

Soon: we launch together. Artists - set up your Subvert pages now. Then, wait for the signal. At that time, the platform will be open to the public. We’ll then give you share-ready images, a heads up, and a hard date. That's when we launch together. Not yet a member? Join the co-op at subvert.fm

excited to see these 1000 album upload days keep happening weeks before the platform opens publicly economic democracy and shared ownership ftw

Artist pages are now unlocked on Subvert for all Artist-Members. If you are an Artist-Member and have been waiting for access - you can sign in today, set up your profile, upload your tracks, and get your presence live on the platform - right now, ahead of our public launch in the coming weeks.

most artists on @subvert.fm offer discounted or free music to fellow co-op members a reciprocal gift economy built into the platform

1000 albums uploaded on @subvert.fm last night

“This year, @subvert.fm will become the largest cooperative of artists/creative workers in history” - @austinrobey.xyz So great to be a member and testing out the artist page!

Building @subvert.fm, I encounter a lot of a particular kind of person - the person who has given up on the idea that anything better is possible It weighs on me emotionally everyday. This cynicism is what we are fighting against.

This year, @subvert.fm will become the largest cooperative of artists/ creative workers in history. Tens of thousands of artists are creating their pages now. It'll be a message that can't be ignored.

steady trickle of 300 albums uploaded to @subvert.fm every day before it opens quietly building

thinking about the vulnerable and those living through war working on problems within creative industries can feel so insignificant sometimes

“As part of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day co-founded the Catholic Worker newspaper. Day advocated the Catholic economic theory of distributism, which she considered a third way between capitalism and socialism”

Someone told me they overheard a conversation about @subvert.fm in a cafe in Equador

A prayer card for the founder of Mondragon “Work is the only prayer that is always answered.”

I'm tired of platform co-op hobbyists who argue against scale (as if it is some evil to be avoided) lack of growth isn't a strategy or moral choice it's preemptive cope for projects too afraid to try or actually succeed

Cooperative platform @transkribus.bsky.social hit 500,000 users

Resonate co-op has formally shut down. Credit to the team for trying something big and inspiring a lot of people

the harshest critics of @subvert.fm are righteous chatroom co-op purists father arizmendi, the founder of mondragon, was rejected by both leftist purists and religious purists. like him, i also believe in pragmatism, scale, just wages, and security for workers

The people who think @subvert.fm is a scam or too good to be true are American. They don’t interact with co-ops The gap in imagination is cultural

I love working for Subvert Cooperative LCA

Subvert is now expanding access to the platform. This update includes invitations to near 600 artists, marking a huge step in opening up the platform. This also marks the moment Subvert crosses 18,000 global Members. Thank you for your continued support. Not a member? Join the co-op at subvert.fm

the connection between catholicism and worker co-ops is too interesting to ignore the largest co-op was founded a venerable priest "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had."

We just invited 600 more artists into the @subvert.fm alpha

Subvert is now expanding its active / live Artists selection. After testing with some of our earliest and vocal Artist-Members, we’re now rolling out access to 50 more Artists - with more to come soon as we test, iterate, and prepare for full platform launch. Join the co-op at subvert.fm

The easiest way to combat feeling envy is to say to yourself "that person is good. i am good too."

Would love to see Mamdani introduce a local currency for NYC

My dad, Thom Robey, died last month. He was an architect. I wrote this for him. It's a meditation on labor, love, and legacy. It's about where I come from. culturesofownership.substack.com/p/elegy-for-...

I'm launching a newsletter in 2 weeks I'll be writing reflections about: -Cooperative legacy and heritage -Cultures of ownership -Alternative business logics -Theology of work -An inside look at building @subvert.fm Comment and I'll DM you a link when it's published

Your reminder that Daniel ek is a symptom, not a cause

Our platform is here for you to test. After a year of building with 15,000+ co-op members, our collectively-owned Bandcamp successor is live for testing at alpha.subvert.fm Join today to help test it before public launch.

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DIY culture is anti-credentialing Want to start a venue or a label? You don't need an MBA. You just need care, curiosity, and action. Who's the right person to start something like @subvert.fm? I don't know. The real question: If not us, then who? If not now, when?

@subvert.fm passed 12,000 co-op members My favorite forum comment this week: "We are trying to build a parallel ecosystem. Maybe we all need some time to take a breath in the midst of excitement and realize the responsibility."

Co-ops are common sense

“but we have bandcamp” is the rallying cry of relative-best apologists, the accidental status quo defenders willing to defend union busting and corporate ownership as long as it’s not spotify they don’t understand that critiquing the best option is how you get better options

Saw Corey Doctorow talk to Lina Khan last night about enshittification Loved the point about the limitations of founder virtue Founders may see themselves as omni-benevolent, but they’re not omni-competent. Corporate benevolent dictatorships are not durable

Today I heard “I’m starting the Subvert of Hollywood”

Today I heard “I’m starting the Subvert of science” So cool

Last month we traveled to Spain's Basque region to visit Mondragon, the world's largest worker cooperative. 92 co-ops. 70,000 workers. €11 billion in revenue. Spain's 7th-largest company. All collectively owned. Here are 5 lessons for building a "Mondragon of Music"