If you could go back to 1995 and show even the most open-minded EMI exec the state of business today, I'm not sure that his conclusion wouldn't be they they'd l

If you could go back to 1995 and show even the most open-minded EMI exec the state of business today, I'm not sure that his conclusion wouldn't be they they'd lost - completely. The music industry has all but completely lost the power over distribution and discovery, and these were the areas that allowed them to pick up a kid off the street and make him a superstar and make people listen to him. When you make somebody a star, it's a bit harder for them to negotiate their salaries, than if you find someone already talented, with a following etc. The head of the graph is roughly the same height, but it drops off much quicker and the tail is much fatter. Yes, they've more-or-less successfully transitioned to the new reality, but it's a much, much less lucrative reality.