Pandora first, but I can't remember if I had completely stopped using mp3 at that point. I maybe had an iPod full of music I didn't pay for. Can't really remember the timelines here.
Either way, just like with movie and TV, I'll happily pay for streaming if the selection is there.
...
“Talk about missing the point. If Napster wasn’t peer-to-peer but it did let you type the name of a song and then listen to it, it would have been just as popular.”
—Joel Spolsky, “Don’t Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You,” 2001
https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2001/04/21/dont-let-architect...
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In the last 17 years, that quote keeps popping up because the companies that focus on letting you type the name of a song and listen to it right away have made money, while those that introduce friction to support some label’s business model? Not so much.
But they keep complaining about “piracy.” 90% of piracy is eliminating friction.
This past weekend, I bought the new Doctor Who on iTunes. I paid because Apple gave me a lot of ways to type the name of the show and watch it right away. Same reason I’ve spent thousands on music with them.
It’s not about the price, it’s about the convenience.
Which is why I don't. No King Crimson, no cool small alternative bands, and no good way to find out of the bands you like are on spotify before getting a subscription. Furthermore: the service pays fuck all to artists. I may as well use the money to go to their concerts and buy merch directly from the artists.
This. A million times.