## The Fraction of a Penny Problem
The math of being a musician has fundamentally changed. In 1998, selling 1 million CDs grossed $15,000,000. Today, getting 1,000,000 streams on Spotify yields approximately $3,800. Artists must generate astronomical volume to pay their rent using streaming alone.
### FAQ
**Q: Why does Apple pay more than Spotify?**
A: Apple Music is a premium-only subscription tier, meaning every listener is paying $10/month into the royalty pool. Spotify has a massive "Free/Ad-Supported" tier. The ad-supported tier generates significantly less revenue per listener than the premium tier, dragging down Spotify's average 'per-stream' payout rate globally. Furthermore, YouTube is the worst offender; they treat music streams like standard video views, yielding a catastrophic $0.0015 per stream.