Here are a couple of examples of streaming-first releases, and streaming-based music careers:
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Pomplamoose has been releasing “videosongs” on Youtube since 2008. Hail Mary - Pomplamoose VideoSong seems to have been their first release to exceed 1 million views. It is likely similar to Recording ‘‘Hail Mary’’, which is part of a Release ‘‘VideoSongs’’ dated March 2009, and an album Pomplamoose VideoSongs sold on iTunes since March 2009. Importantly, the YouTube release came first, generated interest, then came more YouTube releases, then an album of the YouTube releases.
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PostModern Jukebox, a series of music videos created by Scott Bradlee and a constellation of regular and guest musicians, featuring modern pop tunes in older stylings. Bradlee released a number of solo music videos in 2011 and earlier. The first video I can find which has the PMJ style is A Motown Tribute to Nickelback, uploaded to YouTube on 11. November 2011. This work later appeared on an album A Motown Tribute To Nickelback on Bandcamp on 12 December 2012, not yet with the PMJ name. A better early example is Thrift Shop (Vintage “Grandpa Style” Macklemore Cover), uploaded to Youtube on 11 Feb 2013, later apparently released as track 2 of Release Introducing Postmodern Jukebox, dated 23. April 2013.
Both Pomplamoose and PostModern Jukebox have dozens of videos released first on Youtube, then later assembled into CDs. After the video releases became popular, they started touring, selling merchandise, etc. If we can agree on how MusicBrainz should correctly represent these releases, I think that will answer my original question.