Hehehe. I only do local streaming and web radio so that doesn’t bother me. I’m talking in general. My personal consumption is 80% new CD (ripped), 20% HD full album downloads.
But yes, I agree, the model is broken and the current method is not the be all and end all. On the other hand, I don’t think end users with a mind to force change in the industry by changing their buying habits exist in sufficient numbers. Until the industry decides to change or artists en masse hold them over a barrel for a better distribution model (that should not just be based on royalties but also addressing consumption patterns as described in this thread), then things won’t change.
We probably need something that addresses:
- Crappy suggestion algorithms that entrench narrow musical taste to the detriment of new artists.
- Artist royalty shares.
- Album encouragement
Or to put it succinctly, we might as well be asking for the moon on a stick.