[dlikhten]

That data is also skewed. Notice they say "album - $10, song on amazon - $.99" thats wrong. An album may actually be say 10 songs. So 10 songs at $9.99 == 10 songs on amazon at $0.99 -- OPSE miscalculation there.

Furthermore there is the complication of "likelihood of sale". If I self-promote a CD, I may not sell my needed quota of 143 albums per month. In fact for an unknown the best chance to earn cash is playing at a bar. Streaming provides a longer-term ROI AND simultaneously possibility of having "pirates" actually buy your work, which equals profit.

Furthermore new free model for spotify = less chance that an artist will get many plays as you can't listen to that song over and over.