One thing to bear in mind is that you are comparing the price of buying something to a one-off rental. The rental business has always paid poorly, with retailer

One thing to bear in mind is that you are comparing the price of buying something to a one-off rental. The rental business has always paid poorly, with retailers only purchasing a single copy and reusing it (i.e. they pay once, then rent it until it becomes too damaged). At least with Spotify, they hopefully pay each time.