Not bad, @google AI search

1/ We built our own “Spotify” ... sort of. After 130M streams a year across platforms, we realized the math still doesn’t work for artists... so we built our own direct-to-fan streaming app. 🧵👇

5/ We used @Replit to help us build it. AI isn’t making our music, but it did help us code the platform we always wished existed. x.com/amasad/status/19836729…

We built this on @Replit. Join us in this experiment! We don’t use AI in our music but if it helps us GET OUR MUSIC TO YOU, then why not? @amasad, @mattyp amazing product.

We Built Our Own “Spotify” (Sort Of) Our answer to broken streaming economics. This isn’t a rant, but let’s be honest, the way music streaming works right now doesn’t add up for most artists. We get around 130 million streams a year, and somehow that’s still not enough to make it sustainable. Royalty rates have been shrinking for years, and now with AI-generated tracks flooding the platforms, the streaming revenue pool keeps getting thinner. We don’t use AI to make our music. It’s not that we’re vehemently opposed to it, but for us, the joy of KONGOS is putting ourselves into the music, and AI just feels like one step too far removed from Self. That said, AI-assisted software creation has unlocked possibilities we’ve dreamt about for years but never had the expertise or resources to build on our own. We’re not afraid to use it to help us reach the people who actually care, who want to dig deeper, hear the rough takes, the half-finished demos, and the moments that don’t fit neatly into an album cycle. So we built it. Tokoloshe.app — our own direct-to-fan music platform. It’s part streaming app, part archive, part ongoing experiment. We’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time. Patreon felt clunky, Substack wasn’t built for music delivery, and we’re not good looking enough for OnlyFans. We wanted something that felt more like the apps everyone already uses to listen: clean, simple, and immersive. Tokoloshe.app is a mobile-friendly web APP (works on desktop too) We’ll still release all our main albums and singles on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. But Tokoloshe is where we’ll share what those platforms never could: a living, breathing catalog of demos, live recordings, behind-the-scenes videos, and works in progress. It’s the closest thing to opening up our studio door. The app is live now in early access while we keep refining the experience. You can start free, and if you want to explore everything, use this code for a month of Tokoloshe on us. Tokoloshe App — Quick Start Go to tokoloshe.app Create a free account with your email To unlock everything, subscribe to Tokoloshe with code TOKO-PLUS-1MO for 1 month free ($5/mo after, cancel anytime) Add to Home Screen (Mobile) iOS (Safari): Share → Add to Home Screen → Add Android (Chrome): ⋮ → Add to Home Screen → Add Explore: free albums right away, plus demos, rough mixes, live sessions, and exclusive videos with Tokoloshe Reach out — we’d love feedback. Comment here, join our Discord, email, or socials all work. We’ve always believed in giving fans a deeper look into how and why we make music. Tokoloshe is our way of doing that sustainably, without middlemen, algorithms, or AI noise. Just a direct line between us and the people listening. Thanks for sticking with us. - KONGOS