[…]“(Streaming) is not about demand or the Internet being good or bad, it’s more about the value we put into it and how to foster what we get out of it to make sure some of it gets back to the creators,” Future of Music Coalition CEO Casey Rae said.

Rae says streaming also raises important questions about access to art as more and more music, movies, TV and other art is distributed online: Who gets to put a price tag on culture?

“If you’re paying more than $100 for an Internet connection and more for mobile plan, how much money does someone have for a streaming subscription?” Rae said. “There are bigger questions about the economics of cultural production that haven’t been resolved, and streaming is one of them.”

Calculating what streams are worth is also complicated at best and at worst, Rae says, it’s unfair.

“The actual way that streaming platforms distribute royalties doesn’t benefit artist or the fans,” Rae said. “If I went to Spotify and listened to one band and only their songs for a month, Katy Perry might still get my money.”