As far as I'm concerned, the very definition of success in music has changed as a result of modern technology. There are far more genres with their own communit

As far as I'm concerned, the very definition of success in music has changed as a result of modern technology. There are far more genres with their own communities, events, magazines (paper and digital), crucial albums, and both minor and major celebrities. The relevance of labels has changed so much that many artists don't bother seeking contracts because they can achieve their definition of success, which in some genres can look just like the traditional "making it" picture of a successful musician, without ever signing a contract. Thank god for that. The modern world of music is such that an artist playing a very niche kind of music can record at home or in a friend's studio cheaply, release their work online, build a dedicated audience, and make a respectable amount of money without ever dealing with a label. They can be working in a kind of music that never would have had any success in a pre-digital world. That's powerful, wonderful.