[lucideer]

> 1. A cure for the disease of which the RIAA is a symptom.

> Spotify & Apple Music. Pay $10/mo for unlimited access to most music. Took the wind out of music piracy. (TV & film are undergoing a similar transition to subscription models, more slowly.)

The disease that the RIAA is a symptom of is not piracy. Piracy doesn't have a negative impact on music sales. The disease is an industry that makes success (i.e. financial sustainability) inaccessible to most, and excessive (lucrative beyond need) to few. Spotify/Apple Music do precisely nothing to change this.

Beats and Google Play Music are closer to the mark, but still a good bit off.

[mcny]

Winner take all is something freakonomics talks about: why do workers for drug dealers work for low pay and high risk knowing there's a higher chance of dying than getting on top? Why do so many high schoolers aspire to become NFL players knowing the chances are so slim?

[lucideer]

It's a problem that occurs in a lot of industries, but one that's definitely significantly more severe in some than the average.

I wonder if there are common cross-industry causes, or more specific contextual reasons this occurs. I suspect the latter.