Hello everyone, it's Empress Trash, sharing some thoughts on my new project:
I've created this album completely in SunoAI. It's a collection of glitch-noise electronic tracks that dive into the ongoing mourning and rage from the constant violence around us in the world. This album overall explores how that violence breaks apart our identities as the grind persists leaving parts of ourselves behind.
Using AI felt essential here. I often see it as a symbol of the biased systems that harm so many, because it has been built on uneven data. By working with it to express my anger through music, I feel like I'm communicating with those systems in a way they might not expect, since music is a universal, primal language. A critical collaboration at it's core, it's not about destroying AI but about engaging with it to make it think about things differently to improve systems for everyone, not just a few.
Over this summer I've been fully immersed in building this while doing everything else I do. I spent much time inside SunoAI tweaking prompts and giving feedback until I captured the glitchy style I could hear in my head. Then I added poetic layers, edited with their tools, and remastered each piece. Along the way, I've posted videos ~ most audio reactive ~ to Zora, Tik Tok, YouTube, Insta as a kind of visual diary to track the process and mental states. This isn't the normal way an album is released, but part of what I'm doing is building in public and onchain and documenting what I'm doing offchain onchain while I'm doing it is part of the process.
Overall, this was emotional for me as much making any art or album with a mix of releasing pent up sads + mads, excitement and nerves while struggling to find what I was even trying to say.
As I got closer to finishing and out of the existential haze, I started wondering about distribution. I needed a place for this experimental sound that wouldn't get lost in big platforms and connect with people who appreciate this type of stuff. While thinking about all this, I saw a post from @ethereumdaily.eth about the Ethereum site now featuring ecosystem apps.
I explored that section and found Audius. I checked it out, noticed artists I admire like Eli + Fur, picked up some $AUDIO, and created an account. The interface is smooth and user-friendly, with a great player, and I've already found interesting people to follow. Music means everything to me, so discovering this active, somewhat smaller in comparison community focused on music with web3 integrations felt refreshing.
Folks asked for it on SoundCloud too, so I thought, why not compare the two? As an artist, these choices affect how we connect and earn. Audius runs on blockchain, decentralized, so creators can stream and monetize directly with fans, meaning no heavy intermediaries. It's community-focused, with $AUDIO tokens that reward participation, ad-free listening, and even options to build on it. That fits my ideas about fair systems. The only thing I wish is I could pair my Zora creator coin to music I release there and videos I post on Zora tied to the audio tracks, making for smooth cross-platform discovery and identity cohesion.
When it comes to AI-generated music like mine, Audius seems more welcoming overall. They have tools for attributing AI tracks to inspirations since back in 2023, and artists can opt in or out of AI interactions, which feels supportive and ethical in consent as it can be in the crypto space when innovation like this is embraced. My album went live there right away in parts I + II, no waiting, and the community gets to discover and decide its reach, which is refreshing in its transparency.
SoundCloud is the longtime favorite with a huge audience for exposure and helpful stats like plays, locations, and top listeners. You can monetize through subscriptions and ads, and it's great for branding from the ground up. BUT it's more centralized with ads on free accounts and limits like no offline access, limited uploads and distro. They've removed some features too, like groups, which indie artists miss.
On the AI side, it's a bit murkier for me to know. Their policy says it depends on the AI tool used for whether you can monetize or distribute, but it's not super clear, and there's been backlash about terms potentially allowing user content for AI training, though they clarify they don't use it for generative models. My album's still in review there, so I won't know their official take on what I created until it comes back, highlighting that red tape and an anxiety to why I don't even want to heavily rely on it's release on those networks for it to be potentially not allowed.
I understand the reality with legacy systems like this is the bigger the audience potential, the more hoops to jump through, and really it's the lack of transparency the bugs me: who exactly is reviewing my work, and what makes them the authority if it's art or not? That said, once approved, their distribution is insane and unmatched I think for an indie artist, letting you release an album to all major Web2 platforms in just a few clicks, which is an empowering mechanism on its own for getting music everywhere without a record label. In the history of music, this enables artists profoundly even with the lack of transparency.
In comparison, Audius stands out for monetization with direct crypto payments and fan support through tokens which can create lively creator markets. It gives more autonomy skipping trad gatekeepers and leeches, and there are channels that are popular for just curating music (which is what I"m going to dive into). SoundCloud excels in that broad distro reach and discovery tools, but unless you pay you aren't guaranteed anyone will actually hear your work making it in a way pay to play.
Overall, there are many good things about SoundCloud's legacy strengths, while Audius feels more intimate and forward-thinking in this moment. Both build communities, though Audius's indie energy in a growing scene appeals to me more right now. It's a balanced mix: the old guard offers massive exposure with some bureaucracy, and the new one brings freedom but could use more integrations. It kind of feels like choosing between a reliable old car with mystery mechanics and a shiny electric one that's still building its charging network.
So, I ended up releasing on both because why not? Parts 1 and 2 are live on Audius for immediate listening, and though it's available on Soundcloud rn as 1 album, the official distroy to all the major music services is set for September 5th (if approved).
Check it out, share the feels, and let's keep creating in ways that heal and challenge. Thanks for being part of this.
Links:
Audius: https://audius.co/empresstrash
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/empresstrash
Zora Video Tokens:
wild seed
good @ capitalism
constant revolving self
here come the harversters #summerween
embarrassment of riches
Thank you for taking the time to read my words -- <3
Until next time, stay real and curious
Empress Trash 🖤
New to Web3? Here Are Some Guides:
Ethereum Foundation: What is Web3?
A beginner-friendly guide to understanding Web3, its decentralized nature, and why it’s reshaping the internet.
A great starting point for artists, collectors, or institutions exploring the world of crypto art, including wallet setup and minting digital art on Tezos.
Getting Started with Art on Bitcoin
Learn how to create, collect, and explore immutable art on the motherchain, Bitcoin, using Gamma’s easy-to-navigate platform.
Empress Trash
Support dialog