Mr JoJan 10
brandon aka kid lightbulbs

Fun update: I made an app over the holiday break!

It’s called Unstream: Find your favorite music on alternative platforms, directly support the artists you love, and move off streaming.

It was directly borne out of my desire to get off Apple Music myself, and instead build a library of music I own through directly supporting artists by buying their music.

You can check it out here, at a URL I still find amusing: https://unstream.stream

#indiemusic #faircamp #bandcamp #music #streaming

Unstream - Find Music on Alternative Platforms

Find what's playing on alternative platforms, directly support the artists you love, and move off streaming.

Jan 7 at 1:27pmWeb
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 7

You can use it in 3 ways:
- You can search artists and see alternative platforms those artists are on, where you can better support them

- You can share a Spotify or Apple Music URL to Unstream to quickly get that same info using an Apple Shortcut (great for supporting an artist you’re listening to on your phone!)

- The Mac app serves up those alternative platforms for the artist you’re currently listening to in Spotify or Apple Music, with a (paid, $2.99) feature to save artists for later

Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 7
I’ve already found it really fun as a way to see just how many artists have pages on Bandcamp and other sites, and a few fellow musicians I’ve shared early versions of the app learned about new platforms they could be on (or were already on without realizing). I hope this is helpful for folks wanting to support artists they love in ways the streaming apps don’t allow, perhaps even move off streaming, or just have fun with it.
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 7

I already have a nice list of features to potentially add to Unstream; I even set up a public Feedback board for you to submit ideas to make the app better.

Check it out, and I hope it helps you consider your streaming subscriptions and the art you want to support!

https://unstream.stream

Unstream - Find Music on Alternative Platforms

Find what's playing on alternative platforms, directly support the artists you love, and move off streaming.

Show threadfluffy 💜Jan 9
@kidlightbulbs this is cool! I definitely have some suggestions that I’ll add :)
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@fluffy please and thank you!
Show threadStrypeyFeb 3

@kidlightbulbs
> I already have a nice list of features to potentially add to Unstream

Here's another one for the list, it would be great if Unstream pulled in the intro text of an artist's Wikipedia page, if they have one.

Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsFeb 3
@strypey good idea, let me add it to my list
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9

Platforms supported on Unstream:
Bandcamp
Qobuz
Faircamp (via the Faircamp webring)
Bandwagon.fm
Mirlo
Official websites (via musicbrainz)
Patreon
Hoopla (requires library card)
Freegal (requires library card)
Discogs
Social links

Ampwall, Ko-fi & Buy me a Coffee also available in the app as manual searches

Show threadLuceJan 13
@kidlightbulbs Hey, I've just learned of a new music service. Is there a chance it could get integrated in the future? https://subvert.fm/
Subvert — The Collectively Owned Music Marketplace

A music platform owned by us all. Join Subvert to sell your work, support artists, and shape our shared future. Sincerely Ours.

Subvert — The Collectively Owned Music Marketplace
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 13
@Kulei hi! yes, subvert is on my list to support once they come out of beta! I'm in their forums chatting a bit about it.
Show threadTxels Jan 7
@kidlightbulbs wow really cool
Show threadNickJan 9
@kidlightbulbs This is awesome! I just recently started the same process of buying the music of artists I enjoy and quit my Spotify subscription.
However, I noticed for the artist "Mine" a wrong Bandcamp Link. How does your tool verify for correct links?
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@stormii thanks for reporting! For #faircamp links I’m simply checking against the Faircamp webring directory based on the artist names listed for a given site. I suspect this isn’t working well for shorter/more generic names like “mine”. If you wouldn’t mind posting the right one, I can try and figure out a better way to handle that.
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@stormii one other thought: I’m not “verifying” links at all in the app, but I could probably just build a simple mechanism to claim or verify a link for decentralized pages like Faircamp. I’ll think on this!
Show threadD WhatsonJan 9
@kidlightbulbs not bad. I tried it and it seems to work quite well.
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@dwhatson awesome! thanks for checking it out!!
Show threadD WhatsonJan 9
@kidlightbulbs happy to test it out. Of course, I used myself as I know what platforms my material is on. It did find me on Bandwagon.fm, but not on any other distributed platforms. I know that I'm on every platform that I can get my work on to (Spotify excepted). So there's my feedback. Good work so far though, and I look forward to the android version.
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@dwhatson thanks. What is your artist name? I can do some troubleshooting and figure out a fix 🙂
Show threadD WhatsonJan 9
@kidlightbulbs I just use my David Whatson. This might help. https://linktr.ee/dwhatson. I like the app and I'm looking forward to trying it out with other artists I know.
David Whatson | Instagram | Linktree

View dwhatson’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like YouTube, Apple Music here. Your next favorite track is just a click away!

Linktree
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 9
@dwhatson cool, on my todo list to look into!
Show threadDragan EspenschiedJan 10
@kidlightbulbs Super nice! It would be cool if the search query would be expressed as a URL parameter for sharing!
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 10
@despens on my to do list!! Stay tuned!
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 11
@despens I forgot to mention - I shipped an update to general urls for search results for sharing!
Show threadDragan EspenschiedJan 11
@kidlightbulbs super cool!!!
Show threadErosdiscordiaJan 11
@kidlightbulbs This sounds like something I've been looking for.
Show threadAnthony BakerJan 11
@kidlightbulbs @jonhicks This is awesome.
Show threadTimothy PerfittJan 12

@kidlightbulbs awesome timing! i am trying something similar:

https://tperfitt.twocanoes.com/2026/01/11/tim-versus-the-algorithm.html

Tim Versus the Algorithm

I created a decentralized home media streaming service using …

News From Timo
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 12
@tperfitt oh nice! I just started tinkering with a Jellyfin server myself!
Show threadFugue State AudioJan 12
@kidlightbulbs This is awesome!
Show threadehh hahahJan 12
@kidlightbulbs I'd suggest to add Nina protocol - for me it is the most profitable way of distributing music https://www.ninaprotocol.com/
Nina • Nina

A new internet of music

Nina
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 12
@ehhh Thank you! Good suggestion, I forgot about Nina. Let me look into this soon
Show threadMoonshine BrigadeJan 14
@kidlightbulbs great initiative, thanks! 🤘
Show threadTraveling OSM Salesperson Problem ✊🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇺🇦Jan 14

@kidlightbulbs Sounds like a good idea, I like the aim.

Is Unstream freedom-respecting software? I couldn’t find any link to the source code nor licensing information…

Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 14

@contrapunctus this is a great question! The source code is here https://github.com/brandonlucasgreen/unstream

I aim to respect the freedom of Unstream users. I collect zero user data and only capture basic anonymized analytics for the website. I haven’t thought at all about licensing info, but I’m open to making the code open source, just haven’t gotten there yet

Show threadStrypeyFeb 3

@[email protected]
> Is Unstream freedom-respecting software? I couldn’t find any link to the source code nor licensing information

Also a question I'm interested in the answer to.

@kidlightbulbs

Show threadHannesJan 14
@kidlightbulbs Pretty cool project!
Any plans on your side to also support youtube Music in the Mac App? :)
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 14
@hannsr thanks! I’m investigating other music players to support soon, but in the meantime I’m about to announce a chrome extension (& soon after a Firefox extension), if either of those would work in the meantime!
Show threadHannesJan 14
@kidlightbulbs thanks :) Yeah I saw the hint about an extension. I'm personally on 99% Bandcamp already, but a colleague asked about youtube after I shared it at work.
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 14
@hannsr oh amazing! I appreciate the word of mouth promotion 😉 Chrome extension is technically live if they would like to try it, I’m just making some tweaks. I’ll also look into supporting browser-based players like YT Music in the Mac app.
Show threadHypostasisJan 14

@kidlightbulbs

This is absolutely brilliant!

Are you planning on maintaining this app and URL?

Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 14
@HypostasisGR yes!!
Show threadLilith Ashley Nyx Arson Jan 15
@kidlightbulbs closed source? ​​
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsJan 15
@root for now, yes, but I’m thinking about open sourcing it!
Show thread\m/Jan 26
@kidlightbulbs awesome idea!
Show threadSomebody.Feb 23
@kidlightbulbs does it support @mirlo ?
Show threadbrandon aka kid lightbulbsFeb 23
@s2d @mirlo yes! Here’s a full list of supported platforms:
Show threadmirlo.spaceFeb 23
@kidlightbulbs @s2d We love the nest icon too. 🪺🐦‍⬛