In 2021, we saw musicians' growing fatigue in the face of streaming's one-size-fits-all payments, context-collapse, and algorithmic discovery. We set out to build infrastructure for independent music that allowed musicians to sell their music, create their context, and connect with listeners on their own terms. Our goal was to release independent music from the grips of Big Streaming, which we felt unfairly tilted outcomes to benefit the major labels.

Over the last five years, we've built new models for:

• Releasing music direct-to-fans
• Helping artists contextualize their music
• Elevating listeners from the role of passive consumer to active collaborator
• Bringing editorial and curation directly into the discovery experience

While our work created meaningful connections and helped foster listeners' love for new music, we were unable to find a revenue strategy that would give Nina a path to sustainability at its current size.

We looked at our options for how to fund the platform and continue working on it, and saw no viable paths forward that would allow us to continue developing, or responsibly maintain Nina the way it runs today.

We are disappointed at this outcome and our inability to get Nina to long-term stability, as this has been a labor of love for the last 5 years, but remain honored to have played a role in supporting and highlighting incredible corners of the music community.

We are immensely grateful to all who supported Nina, released music, listened, supported artists, attended shows, and wrote about music on Nina. Big Streaming has the benefit of convenience, but mostly at the expense of the artists big and small who don't win the attention lottery. We continue to be inspired by platforms like Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Untitled, Subvert, Cantilever, Tidal, Qobuz. Anyone who brings more context to artists and provides direct paths to revenue and fans should be supported. We are optimistic and look forward to seeing how those who continue to build for independent music will improve our corner of the music world. The work of a musician changes with each phase of technology and though the reality seems grim in the age of Big Streaming, we must fight cynicism and continue to hope.