On Spotify, artists must reach 1,000 monthly streams before royalty payments are triggered. This single rule effectively excludes an estimated 75% of all uploaded music from earning anything. Detail of the Youtube Music streaming app on the screen of a Samsung Galaxy Tab, taken on October 6, 2021. What if there was a cost (albeit very small) to upload music in the first place? An upload fee will not “fix” streaming on its own in the eyes of those who think it is “broken”.