[rayiner]

> Contrast with music, where I have a single subscription and get access to everything I want without having to think about it.

Only because of the obsolete centralized planning model the law creates for music streaming, which long predates the capability for direct music distribution to the customer. It undermines competition, shifting power to the distribution system. But competing over whether your streaming service offers this or that feature doesn’t create competition on the part that really matters: content. It lowers the incentive to invest in quality music that breaks out of cookie cutter molds, it would be bad for consumers in every respect but on cost. (It is notable that whole television has never been better, mainstream music probably has never been worse.)

Imagine if software licensing had to all be cleared through a centralized board at rates set by judges. It would be what app developers hate about the App Store times ten.

The inconvenience of having to pick and choose is the cost of having a real market. We don’t order all our food through a central food clearing house. We order from different restaurants, who have different payment models, different menu formats, different delivery rules, etc. If all restaurants were legally required to be in Uber Eats that wouldn’t be better, it would be worse. It would give all the power and profits to the middle man, rather than the restaurants.