The music industry may have dealt with a lot since Napster first disrupted its business model, but it’s never had to deal with anything like this.

In just a few short weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has shifted a booming industry on its axis. Live music has ground to a complete halt. Every record shop in the country has had to close its doors. Thousands of music executives have lost work or been furloughed.

And yet one fundamental aspect of the ...