ABSTRACT I argue that streaming services like SoundCloud and Spotify are key elements of a two-faced virtual ecosystem – including social media and crowd-funding platforms – that independent musicians worldwide must navigate to achieve economic viability of their music. The two-facedness of these technologies lies in their promotion as democratic and open gateways for musicians at the same time as they actually serve as gatekeepers that throw up hidden walls along lines including national origin and language. I begin by introducing the music scenes of Beirut, Lebanon, where I have done ethnographic research since 2015. I then lay out the importance of online modes of sociality for these musicians and their fans, focusing on social media and streaming services. SoundCloud, in particular, illustrates the two-faced nature of these technologies. Throughout, I offer case studies of how several musicians and other culture workers are navigating the promise and constraints of these technologies.

中文翻译：

---

承诺与陷阱：贝鲁特独立音乐家的流媒体和社交媒体平台的两面性

摘要 我认为，SoundCloud 和 Spotify 等流媒体服务是两面虚拟生态系统（包括社交媒体和众筹平台）的关键要素，世界各地的独立音乐人必须通过该生态系统来实现其音乐的经济可行性。这些技术的两面性在于它们作为音乐家的民主和开放门户被推广，同时它们实际上充当了守门人，沿着包括民族血统和语言在内的线竖起了隐藏的墙。我首先介绍黎巴嫩贝鲁特的音乐场景，自 2015 年以来我一直在那里进行民族志研究。然后我阐述了在线社交模式对这些音乐家及其粉丝的重要性，重点是社交媒体和流媒体服务。SoundCloud 尤其说明了这些技术的两面性。