About this video

• Video Title: How 4 billion streams on Spotify changed my life
• Channel: Bauke Top
• Speakers: Bal
• Duration: 43:58

Overview

This video is a personal reflection by Bal on his journey to accumulating over four billion streams on Spotify, primarily through his Lo-fi hip-hop music. He discusses how this massive success impacted his life, the music industry, and his personal growth, emphasizing that while numbers and money are nice, they don't equate to fulfillment. Bal shares his experiences with creating music, the challenges of the industry, the importance of financial freedom, and his eventual realization about the true meaning of success and artistic expression.

Key takeaways

• The Illusion of Numbers: Bal emphasizes that achieving a high number of streams (like four billion) doesn't automatically bring happiness or fulfillment. The initial pursuit of fame and streams led to burnout and a questioning of his own work.
• The Importance of Financial Freedom: Earning money from music, even through a contract he initially felt undervalued, provided the financial freedom to pursue his artistic passions and create music on his own terms later on.
• Discovering True Value: The meaning behind the streams only became apparent when connected to personal stories and reflections from people who connected with his music, highlighting that external validation and connection are crucial.
• Embracing Authenticity: Bal learned to stop forcing his music into specific molds and instead follow the natural flow and resonance of the sound, emphasizing the importance of creating from a place of authenticity.
• Personal Growth and Humility: The overwhelming success, coupled with the journey, ultimately led to personal growth, a greater appreciation for genuine connection, and a more humble perspective on achievement.

Bal's initial motivation for creating Lo-fi hip-hop music stemmed from a collaboration with a former classmate from the Herro Academy. This classmate was skilled in marketing and recognized the commercial potential of the Lo-fi niche. He hired Bal and other producers on a flat fee basis to create music for his own curated Spotify playlist, aiming to control the content and revenue stream, which is how Bal became involved in producing this specific genre.