Look, let's be real about this. Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music are making billions while the actual creators are scraping by. The numbers don't lie - artists get fractions of a penny per stream. That's not a fair market, that's a rigged system. These platforms didn't build their value on their own. They depend entirely on artists' work. Without musicians, they've got nothing to sell. So when the CEO takes home millions and the songwriter can't afford rent, something's broken. I'm not saying every artist should get rich. But when the system is so fragile that even successful musicians need to tour constantly just to survive, that's a sign of structural unfairness. The platforms have skin in the game? Barely. Artists have all the risk, most of the work, and crumbs of the revenue. A fairer payout model wouldn't kill streaming. It would just make them less greedy.

Here's the thing — you're a musician, so I respect your experience. But let me ask you something. If a baker makes a loaf of bread and the grocery store sells it, how much of that dollar should the baker get? Now imagine the grocery store takes 70% and tells the baker "well, there's too many bakers." That's what's happening. You say streaming saved music from piracy. Sure. But replacing one bad deal with a slightly better bad deal isn't victory. It's just less obvious exploitation. The "too many artists" argument is convenient for the platforms. It lets them off the hook. Here's what's fragile about this — if the platform's entire value comes from artists' work, but artists can't survive on that work alone, the whole system breaks eventually. You'll just have fewer professionals and more hobbyists. I'm not saying every bedroom producer deserves a mansion. But when the CEO makes 400 times what the average songwriter makes, that's not market reality. That's a rigged game where one side has all the leverage.

Your piracy argument keeps coming up, but it's a false choice. Either piracy or the current model? That's like saying your only options are getting punched in the face or getting kicked in the shins. The real test is stress. What happens when this system hits a shock? If artists can't sustain themselves on streaming alone, you lose professional musicians. You get a sea of noise from hobbyists who don't need to eat from their art. That doesn't make the platform stronger - it makes it fragile. You say the barrier to entry is gone. True. But that's not progress if the gatekeepers just moved from record labels to algorithms. The platform still decides what gets pushed. They still control the leverage. I'm not asking for Taylor Swift money. I'm asking for a structure where the people creating the product don't need a second job to survive. That's not socialism. That's basic sustainability.