[ada1981]

Conversely, a kid in a basement with a laptop can for $20 via distrokid be listed on Spotify and be discovered within non-geographic communities.

It’s not all bad, but these are cool ideas.

[AlexandrB]

I don't have hard data, but from listening to interviews with musicians it seems to me like the difference is that the power distribution has become even more skewed. For every star discovered on Spotify you used to have 10 bands that could at least eke out a middle class living in their city/state touring and selling albums.

[fallingfrog]

I suppose, economically this might be an example of an externality? Seems like a lot of industries are piling up externalities right now in terms of their effects on society, wages, political discourse, the environment, etc..