In reality, the people making the most money off artists (that's musical performers mainly) today are the recording companies. It used to be that you needed to

In reality, the people making the most money off artists (that's musical performers mainly) today are the recording companies. It used to be that you needed to sign with a record label to market your music, sell your music, and book live concerts. The internet has put that power into the artists' hands. Artists can "make a living" without "making it big" with the internet. The record labels are running an antiquated business which is no longer needed.