Maybe the real issue is that streaming is just another gatekeeper replacing radio and record labels, which always decided who got heard. Artists can still build fans directly and get discovered without a giant's blessing. So I'm not convinced these platforms are uniquely too powerful.

Take a band that blows up after a clip spreads online, no playlist required. I get that Spotify can make or break someone, that's fair, I just think artists still have ways around it that people don't give much credit.