That doesn’t paint the full picture, though. Artists get something from Spotify in return - exposure to listeners (even those that wouldn’t traditionally listen to an artist or never discover them otherwise), global and immediate distribution, marketing, and simple payment handling.
Today, artists don’t need most of the services traditional record labels provide, which treated them way worse over the last half century. And that’s a good thing.
Not to say I think it’s fair how little streaming services pay to musicians, but this is more nuanced than just Spotify exploiting artists.
Today, artists don’t need most of the services traditional record labels provide, which treated them way worse over the last half century. And that’s a good thing.
Not to say I think it’s fair how little streaming services pay to musicians, but this is more nuanced than just Spotify exploiting artists.