It’s not just music that is getting ripped off and what is this funding model you’re proposing? How will that help some who designs and sells a few T-shirts etc?

It goes for all other art as well. I wasn't proposing a specific alternative funding model right now, but I think just about anything (even nothing) is better than extending intellectual property laws.

A) Nobody goes into the music business from the ground up planning to support themselves selling albums, like a small business. Everybody has known for decades that’s a nonstarter. That’s literally the least representative market for commercial art. Even for audio! B) There’s a universe of creative workers AI fucked over that have nothing to do with retail music sales. Concept artists, stock photographers, session musicians, copywriters, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.