Imagine: You’re a recording artist.

Two of your tasks are to make your music as discoverable as possible and to make it available.

If there were a system that enabled you to have your music discovered by and played on devices owned by most humans, how valuable would you find that ability? Seems like a service that would ask for a premium fee. So, why’s it an issue when such a service pays artists?

Long before on-demand services were a thing, the royalty payouts from radio plays received harsh critique from music makers. Did it discourage them from not just wanting but campaigning to have their music transmitted through the airwaves? Probably not. Perhaps it was an understanding that the radio was a tool to get people to the cash register.

A tool to help bring in revenue that pays you back a little? What’s all the fuss?

Tough crowd.