I get both sides of the argument. On one hand, Spotify and other sub streaming services are 'bad' because they don't pay the artists fairly and their algorithm is gamed so the more money you put in, the more attention you'll get.

On the other hand, who has the money to pay for all the music they love? A subscription service allows a music fan to discover new music, and potentially pay them money down the line, that otherwise they may never hear. Buying music IS a privilege.

But making music is also a privilege. Music costs money to make. And if costs money to release. You aren't owed music just because you like it. There's a balancing act between creators who want you to hear it and their inability to do so if they don't have the money to fund it.

Most people who make music do it because they love music, and they WANT you to hear it. But you also can't expect the artists you love to keep up the pace demanded by these platforms if they dont have the money to invest in it.

People who make music will always make music, and that's where the kicker lies. You'll always have access to it whether you pay for it or not because musicians love to musicify and music fans love to listen. Nobody should be shamed in this, and finger pointing is super daft.

It makes me sad people I know in bands are getting 0000s of streams, and still trying to juggle office jobs around making music. And to say 'buying records is a privilege' like musicians are just being greedy is a fundamental misunderstanding of why people create music.

If these platforms paid fairly, you wouldn't have to buy another record. For them to pay fairly, maybe you'd have to pay more. And then you're at the same shitty impasse as before.

So what's the solution? I don't know, I'm in a band that uses a shoe as an instrument.

I guess the answer is listen to music how you can because music is great. And if you can afford to, repay its creator, and if you can't, shout loudly about them.