Blaming artists? What are you smoking?

I was asking if it’s Spotify which is relatively new and, as pointed out in the article MUST get this contract or die, or if the problem might be the big three that hold all the power in this negotiation.

Speaking of which. Isn’t it the big three that actually pay the artists. So how would Spotify, if they were so inclined, manage that payout? (It’s an interest idea though. I wonder what would happen if they offered a tip-the-artist button).

Unfortunately, my understanding is that at least part of the blame lies with the labels. Most labels have contracts with their artists that mean the artists make very little, if anything, off studio recordings. That means they make very little from vinyl sales, CD sales, Spotify streams, etc. If you wanna actually support an artist, you buy merch and go to live shows. My understanding is that this is how it's always been and people are barking up the wrong tree. People are bitching about Spotify when they should be bitching about labels taking a massive chunk of their money. They've only become aware of how much money they're missing out on because Spotify supposedly makes so little that they get sticker shock when they get their royalty check, but it's really not entirely Spotify's fault.

That's not saying Spotify is blameless; but if Spotify's hands are covered in shit, then the labels' hands are covered in diarrhea and vomit.

It’s not free. There are ads.

Free is literally why they have the market they have. Completely silly point.

You can't assume the price point changes and the market remains the same as well. It's more complicated than that. We literally have talks of people leaving Netflix every other week from the constant changes being made this year.