Ease of publishing - ignoring the fact that it’s been easy to record and publish since well before Spotify came along - just means more volume of content to sift through for audiences, meaning that lesser known artists end up having a hard time just like they did before, it’s just that now it’s for different reasons. Regardless the result is the same: bigger artists get an advantage on being discovered. At best it’s still the same playing field it was before.

Spotify did not democratize the ability for working musicians to earn money any more than broadcast radio did. Another medium that favored and continues to favor already established artists.