So you love the Libor Šmoldas Quartet... but do you own the record?
Let’s pull a little string today.
If you are reading my blog, you probably love the Prague and Czech jazz scene as much as I do. You might have streamed Libor Šmoldas or Petra Vlková on your phone this very morning. But let me ask you a straight, friendly question: Have you bought their physical record yet?
I am not judging. I am just looking at the math.
When you stream a song on a corporate app, the artist gets a microscopic fraction of a cent. To put it in perspective: for an independent (jazz) musician to buy a single espresso right here in Prague using streaming revenue, you need to loop their song about a thousand times.
But when you buy a physical CD directly from them at a gig, or via an independent local distributor, the vast majority of that money goes straight into their pocket. It directly funds the next time they walk into a recording studio to create the music we love.
Our local jazz community is incredibly vibrant, but it is also intimate. It is small enough that our choices as listeners actually make a direct difference. We can be the engine that drives this music forward, not just a passive audience.
Vote with your wallet
If you want to vote with your wallet this month, here is a taste of what has come out fresh in 2026 so far. Please note: this is just a small selection to get you started, as there are many more wonderful domestic records being published this year.
Skip one monthly streaming subscription and buy a piece of real music history instead:
- Kristina Barta – Red Landscape (Amplion Records)
- A bold, modern jazz commentary on a world overloaded by digital noise and political tension.
- Libor Šmoldas Quartet – Sorry, Miles (Bivak Records)
- A brilliant tribute to the spirit of Miles Davis, packed with fresh hard-bop energy.
- Petra Vlková & Sonic Playground – (Sonic Playground)
- A stunning, soulful journey that reminds us exactly why independent modern-mainstream jazz needs to be held in your hands.
- Osmosis – Osmosis (Arta Records)
- Dynamic acoustic jazz blended with unexpected psychedelic rock and electronic textures.
The choice is ours. We can let algorithms feed us background noise, or we can keep real music alive. Go get the records.
In my next post in this subject, I am going to lay out the brutal, unpolished data of what corporate streaming platforms actually pay our artists. The numbers will shock you. Stay tuned.
In spite of everything, the artist still creates…
