[pjbriggs]

This assumes that music is a strictly performance medium. Some artists make great music but are either uninterested in or unable to put on worthwhile performances. Music belongs lots of places and not all of that music is the type that belongs in performances. This belittles game and film composers writing anything on spec, artists who do sell beats and samples to more artists who then perform them. I think the conventional what for musicians to make money is certainly performance but music and music artistry are a far broader field.