Every surprise coming from Lume’s launch

Lume, the new music platform launched today, has made waves with its unique approach to digital music consumption. Twenty-five local artists have joined the platform, offering fans a chance to pay $25 to access exclusive content along with their albums. The platform, developed by a team including The Spinoff's Duncan Greive, alongside Sacha Judd, Tim Harper, and Justin Warren, aims to address the shortcomings of traditional streaming services by returning a higher percentage—80%, of sales directly to artists. This model is supported by notable investors such as Hamish McKenzie of Substack, Karl von Randow of Letterboxd, and pop star Lorde. The launch took place amid a flurry of activity within Lume's Morningside office. Notifications pinged, Slack messages flew, and brows furrowed as the team worked tirelessly to finalize preparations. One moment of surprise came when a message from "Supergroove" appeared, prompting a collective gasp and nods of approval. The team, under pressure to meet the deadline, faced challenges in finalizing assets for several artists' albums. Only ten of the twenty-five featured artists had fully approved their content by Monday, highlighting the extensive effort required to bring this project to fruition. Among the artists set to debut on Lume are well-known names such as Bic Runga, Tiki Taane, Reb Fountain, Fur Patrol, The Phoenix Foundation, Lontalius, and Dick Move. Additionally, the platform secured a publishing deal that allows global access, meaning users in cities like London can also download a Lume. Despite these achievements, the team acknowledged the difficulties in meeting the launch date, initially postponed from mid-June to mid-July to facilitate international negotiations. Staff admitted they were working at maximum capacity, with some expecting to pull all-nighters to ensure everything was ready on time. During a visit to the office at 10 am, I was granted an all-access pass to experience Lume firsthand. Harper, one of the founders, handed me his phone and a pair of headphones, allowing me to explore the platform. The interface resembled Apple Music more than Spotify, focusing on delivering an album experience where tracks are intended to be consumed in sequence. Unlike standard streaming platforms, users cannot create playlists from their purchases but can gift Lumes to friends for a limited period. The sound quality promised by Lume is described as superior to that of most other streaming services. Each Lume contains a curated collection of content beyond just the music. Artists can include a variety of materials such as music videos, live performances, interviews, photographs, and notes, alongside bonus tracks, remixes, or unreleased songs. These elements can be explored while streaming, though playback halts if a user watches a video with audio or listens to additional content. Some of the included items are particularly noteworthy, such as The Phoenix Foundation incorporating print reviews for their 2015 album Give Up Your Dreams and adding their Trans Fatty Acid EP, previously available only on cassette. Similarly, Fazerdaze’s Amelia Murray included studio footage from her Soft Power recording sessions and a full concert performance from last year’s Powerstation show.