Michael Hiltzik: How the rise of streaming might turn Hollywood musicians into an endangered species

Hollywood musicians, those foot soldiers who bring the work of celebrated composers such as John Williams ("Star Wars"), James Horner ("Titanic") and Hans Zimmer ("Dunkirk") to life, have faced a mound of professional challenges in recent years.

Producers record their film scores in London or other overseas locations to avoid paying union scale, digital recordings have eaten away at opportunities for live players, and studios penny-pinch on music in countless ways even though their recording budgets are typically a tiny piece of a project's budget - a $100-million project might spend less than $400,000 on musicians' pay.

But now the musicians are facing a threat that some call potentially an "extinction-level event." It's the takeover of the entertainment industry by streaming video services.

While the streaming boom has created a bounty for many who work in film and television by opening up a new market, and presenting a big advance in convenience