I think you are missing the point--this is not the
Artist Industry of America, but the
Recording Industry of America--the money that the recording companies is trying to squeeze from consumers is going to them, not the artists. In fact, the RIAA has been
squeezing the payments to artists. Any time they claim that the artists lose out, everything they say before and after that should be considered BS.
As far as I am concerned, this is no better than an illegal monopoly or cartel and this cartel should be found so accordingly by the courts and disbanded. It would be for the benefit of everyone (except the companies of course).