The Internet has not only made access to information a lot more easier for more people than ever before. It also has made it easier to get founds for projects, either by traditional means or by crowdfunding.
Sites like Patreon and Liberapay allow people that create media, or take new products to market, get funds for their project directly from people who are interested on what they offer. Which means, that they don't have to go to traditional sources to get the funds they need.
Other benefit is that many ideas and product that might get rejected on traditional channels, now can get produced with the help of those who find it interesting or useful. There are less gatekeepers that decide what the people funds, where from, or the people who get to fund them.
While not everything that comes out with crowdfunding, it helps to better connect supply chains with those who want what they offer. In some ways, it helps to streamline the way things are produced and delivered.
The ability for small and medium producers to funding, means that there are many more products making it to the market place. This is beneficial for all of us, since it means that it becomes more likely for us to find something that better fits our needs for the price we are looking for. And the same goes for services, and content.
As paradoxical as it sounds, small producers can now find a better way not only to compete but also to get the funds to do so more effectively.