A critical mass of artists who demand changes at Spotify could get something done, however, since Spotify relies on them to make their product worthwhile. Spotify promises its customers that, by paying one subscription fee, you get access to essentially all recorded music. If the Young firestorm continues, suddenly Spotify would be a balkanized platform, losing fans of the various artists who object to Rogan. It wouldn’t be able to rely on the network effects that make people think they cannot live without Spotify, because it’s one-stop shopping for everything audio.

The situation could inspire artists to realize their power in another context: demanding fair compensation for their work. An artist boycott based on being treated like sharecroppers by the streaming giant could gain a lot of traction. Unfortunately, the (understandable) business decisions of some legacy artists, extreme inequality among musical artists, and the way in which musicians are beset on all sides by monopolies may make it difficult to make headway.

Read the post on The American Prospect