Whats the point of even making music if you're gonna pay for hosting of music no one to even listens to? Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc. are free for artists, and the barrier to entry is so low a nine year old can get started by themselves (I've seen it).

No need to gatekeep. There's both a use and a market for platforms. This does not invalidate the benefits of self-hosting, which many artists wouldn't even see.