Managers pay quite a bit to get "unknown artists" airtime on radio stations. Smaller bands advertising via internet route still have YouTube, Soundcloud, etc.

Managers pay quite a bit to get "unknown artists" airtime on radio stations. Smaller bands advertising via internet route still have YouTube, Soundcloud, etc. I've bought a few albums as a result. Also, with the proliferation of smartphones, a significant group choose to listen off their own devices rather than slog through yet another pop song + advertising.