Got a little swept up "panic and desperation" is more aptly "frustrations and disappointments." Too much coffee. :P

Thanks! That is an analogy I can relate to. Sorry my follow up has gotten lengthy again... You mean collaboration in the sense of the entire industry and streaming services? It feels like small labels and independent artists (vinyl runs of 300 or 500 and digital sales in the range of a few hundred) need to sit on the side and wait. These types of labels depend on regional or community based fans. So even adding 100 million users, I'm skeptical that there would be much additional discovery. I cannot think of anyone contacting me saying they found us through Pandora or Spotify so far (last.fm once though). However I do not agree with several of my peers that streaming is "stealing" sales and dropping Spotify will see a return in sales. Rather the sales will dwindle regardless as people expect access and downloads become more cumbersome. Unlike radio where people heard and then wanted to own, streaming seems to replace the need to own. The next generation will have no model or example of owning media at all. Not a bad thing in my eyes, I'm a fan in fact, but breaking even and covering production costs is left up in the air. Let's say I'm optimistic and excited but cannot ignore the panic and desperation around me.

I know I'm a bit late replying on this article... I run a particularly small label for a niche sound. I've optimistically adopted Spotify and excited to see how the industry develops with these changes. I see Spotify as a tool to get more exposure for our artists and music as opposed to a replacement for sales as we depend on our physical sales of vinyl. From year to year, our vinyl has grown less convenient (especially as most of our supporters are overseas) and the trend towards streaming services is undeniable. It is even how I consume majority of my music day to day. The largest distributor of our style of music, ST Holdings, has even withdrawn all content from Spotify. Even if discovery tools improve to help the independents more, sustainable numbers seem too big. And several of us are not interested in doing gigs and touring all year round. So my question is with a model where you need millions of plays to make reasonable revenue, how is it the "golden goose" for music and labels that focus on a niche sound with a limited audience?