Is Streaming The Next Artist Rip-Off?

Written by Mitch Santell

The music industry is shifting rapidly.  Can you feel it? First, we had the physical product, then we had illegal (via Napster) and legal (via iTunes) downloads.

Now we have 24/7 streaming from various services. Each time I think I want to sign up for a service, I will admit I hesitate. 

Here at Big Reggae Mix, we pay to be on the air legally to all of the performance rights organizations. Over the past year, I've read numerous articles about Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Groove, Tidal and many others.

The most significant challenge right now is all of the stories that I hear from established artists who get millions and millions of streams but don't receive any substantial income from their exposure.

These significant companies in the music business will tell you that they are "paying a fair wage." The artists will tell you otherwise. Since we pay to remain legally compliant, I do sincerely wonder where all of this is going!

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