Communication
56%
WhatsApp leads messenger usage (54 users) — but without love. Signal (50) and Telegram (51) are close behind. Artists average 3-4 different messenger apps. "We had flights to the moon and now all we have is 20 messenger apps that don't talk to each other."
Social Media
69%
Instagram dominates social media (66 users), but the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative — used out of necessity, not choice. Discord (44) is the rising star, especially for younger artists. Facebook (43) is described as dying but still having the widest reach.
Distribution
72%
Bandcamp is the community favorite — used by 69 artists for streaming and 75 for file releases. Despite ownership concerns, it's the only platform artists speak positively about. Spotify is widely used (34) but almost universally criticized.
Physical Media
35%
Physical media lives on. 33 artists actively release vinyl, CD, or tape. Another 22 are considering it. The economics are brutal — rising pressing costs and expensive shipping — but physical releases carry deep cultural significance in this community.
Filesharing
55%
Soulseek is beloved — 53 respondents use it actively. "Pro Soulseek until death!" File sharing isn't piracy to this community — it's discovery, archival, and culture. Multiple artists actively share their own releases on Soulseek.
AI & Technology
75%
AI opinions skew negative. 38 respondents express negative views — 15 strongly opposed, 23 skeptical. Only 12 are positive. 52% of those who answered are critical of AI in music and art.
Challenges
#1
Financial survival is the top challenge (26 mentions), followed by time & motivation (20), community fragmentation (14), and platform fatigue (12). "Late stage capitalism" appears multiple times. Venue closures hit European artists hard.
Community Vision
73%
Deep hunger for forums. Artists overwhelmingly want threaded discussions, text-based exchanges — not another chat or social feed. ihatebreakcore, c8.com, dogs on acid are invoked with nostalgia. Discord partially fills the gap but "isn't the same."
c8core Interest
21%
20 artists want to actively help build c8core. Another 21 are considering it. 23 want to but lack time. The willingness is there — especially remarkable given how busy these artists are with day jobs and families.
Copyright
28%
"Never! Pure Underground!" — 27 artists explicitly reject copyright registration as a philosophical stance. Only 14 register with a copyright org. The underground ethos runs deep.
Connectivity
~19
Average artist contacts: ~19 fellow musicians in regular contact. Range: 1 to 1000+. The paradox: more tools for connection than ever, yet many feel more isolated than in the forum era.
Updates
67%
66 respondents want c8core updates via their preferred messenger. Only 14 said no. The community is ready and waiting for this platform to launch.