Well, my records show I've spent about $50,000 on recordings in the last twenty years. Spotify and YouTube have introduced me to much of the stuff I've purchased recently, and they've helped me to avoid stuff I'd listen to once or never. My son the musician tells me that Spotify royalties are slim, but at least they pay something. I believe some musicians derive limited income from YouTube, also - but my son hasn't received a penny from the thousands of YouTube videos people have posted of his band.

There's no doubt that the business model for music recordings needs revision. It needs to be fair to the performer and fair to the consumer. As it is now, only the middleman makes money in the music market.


But YouTube and Spotify are great ways to introduce people to new music. How else are people going to know? Watch the videos. Buy my kid's recordings.

-Joe-