The Kent District Library wants to add more local music to its online service that already boasts music by 137 regional artists. Learn more about KDL Vibes and how to apply.
Spotlighting Local Music: Just some of the artists featured in the KDL Vibes collection.
Tensions among music-lovers, independent musicians and big-name streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music continue to rise due to minuscule payouts per stream, rising subscription costs, and the introduction of AI algorithmic features.
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Those who appreciate the convenience of streaming have begun asking themselves, ‘How can I best support the local artists I love when their streaming revenue only amounts to pennies?,’ ‘How can I afford to purchase all of the music I love in physical formats?’ ‘What is the most ethical way to stream music in 2026?’
While Kent District Library’s streaming service may not be a direct answer to all of these questions, it does provide a starting point for seeking out alternative ways to stream and discover local music.
Libraries all over the country, including Kent County’s own KDL, have utilized MusicCat to curate small-scale, free-to-use streaming platforms to preserve and showcase local independent music.
KDL Vibes’ sixth annual submission period began September 1 and is open through October 12, with the online application here. Kent District Library is seeking West Michigan musicians to add to a collection that already contains 137 artists, 154 albums and 1,307 songs.
These songs are accessible to anyone for ad-free streaming at no cost and KDL cardholders have the ability to download MP3 files of their favorite tracks to their device for offline listening.
The site also allows users to add albums to their favorites to create their own personalized library. A handful of staff curators have created playlists of tracks they recommend to give newcomers a starting point. Check those out here: https://vibes.kdl.org/featured
Each album that gets added to the collection is hand-selected by a jury of music-loving librarians, local musicians themselves, and others who work closely with the West Michigan music community.
Adrian Wright: (Photo/Anna Sink)
This round’s guest jurors include local hip-hop artist Adrian Wright, Local Spins photographer Chelsea Whitaker, and Hunter VanKlompenberg, the music and arts manager at local cafe/music venue The Stray.
Each juror will receive a sample of tracks from the submission pool to rate, and the tracks that receive the highest cumulative ratings will have their respective album or EP added to the collection. In addition to being featured in the Vibes collection, each artist that is selected will receive a $250 honorarium upfront, a stark contrast to Spotify’s pennies-per-stream payment model.
The KDL Vibes team is looking to add 27 new submissions this time around. KDL Vibes requires that your album or EP is at least 3 tracks in duration, that your project has a release date between 2016 and 2026, and that you reside somewhere in the West Michigan region.
Vibes is on the lookout for any and all genres and styles from metal, to classical, to experimental and everything in-between.
“We’re always excited to see what kinds of submissions come through,” says Faye Harbison, a KDL branch librarian and member of the KDL Vibes project team, “We’re also excited to be getting so close to hitting the milestone of 200 albums in the collection.”
One may ask, how does my usage support KDL Vibes and the artists in the catalog if the service is free to use and what are the benefits of using it?
Besides the fact that it provides free access to a curated collection of music that is being created in your own backyard, utilizing Vibes as a listener allows the library to continue providing this service. Every individual stream is counted and the more people that use it, the more allowance and funding the Vibes project team receives to continue accepting submissions and monetarily supporting and platforming local musicians.
Artists may submit their songs at this link through October 12th to have a chance at being added to the collection: https://vibes.kdl.org/submit
Copyright 2026, Spins on Music LLC
