> It’s way too convenient to pay $5-10/month for unlimited access to nearly every record ever created.
1. It's not unlimited access, it's access over the Internet. Which one doesn't have always and everywhere.
2. It's absolutely not every recording ever created; pretty sure it's not even half.
3. It's convenient, but not too convenient, because access, arrangement, playback GUI etc. is controlled, to a great extent, but the relevant service.
4. For most people in the world, this is not affordable. The median per-capita income in 2023 was ~2920 USD [1]; and you're asking for, say, 7.5 USD/month = 90 USD per year, or nearly 5% of one's income. No can do.
5. Even in richer countries - this stuff adds up! After a year at 90 USD - you don't accumulate any music you can then hear. So, you need to pay that sum for your entire life, let's say ages 15 to 95, e.g. 90 * 80 = 7,200 USD for music. Not cheap.
I was going to comment but you saved me the bother of going into the details - yes, across the board.
Knowing "not a single person who pirates music anymore" is no reflection on music(al) pirates - maybe for some reason the piraters tend to end up in different circles than the kind of people who think spotify has "nearly every record ever created".
On top of what you said in your reply above, I also (partially) blame spotify for the fact that when you ask people what music they like now, a lot of people are quite likely to say "oh, everything!".
> 4. For most people in the world, this is not affordable. The median per-capita income in 2023 was ~2920 USD [1]; and you're asking for, say, 7.5 USD/month = 90 USD per year, or nearly 5% of one's income. No can do.
Most subscription services adjust the service prices to what specific markets can stomach. Spotify in the US costs $11.99/month, but it's $5.86/month (23.99 PLN) in Poland.
1. It's not unlimited access, it's access over the Internet. Which one doesn't have always and everywhere.
2. It's absolutely not every recording ever created; pretty sure it's not even half.
3. It's convenient, but not too convenient, because access, arrangement, playback GUI etc. is controlled, to a great extent, but the relevant service.
4. For most people in the world, this is not affordable. The median per-capita income in 2023 was ~2920 USD [1]; and you're asking for, say, 7.5 USD/month = 90 USD per year, or nearly 5% of one's income. No can do.
5. Even in richer countries - this stuff adds up! After a year at 90 USD - you don't accumulate any music you can then hear. So, you need to pay that sum for your entire life, let's say ages 15 to 95, e.g. 90 * 80 = 7,200 USD for music. Not cheap.
[1]: https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-income-worldwide/