I was signed to a major label at one point and would do so again in a heartbeat. What you're getting in exchange for surrendering publishing and the masters is

I was signed to a major label at one point and would do so again in a heartbeat. What you're getting in exchange for surrendering publishing and the masters is the huge network majors are tapped into. Syncs, marketing spend, publicity, festival circuits, key relationships with tastemakers, etc - I found the music industry incredibly nepotistic and benefitted over equally or more talented unsigned artists. There's a Hollywood Accouting hustle to what the majors say they are spending on you, but I believe you're building a better fanbase with a major, which generally means a greater touring revenue. Another point missed: it's hard to speak globally about "musicians". Artists have very different outcomes and objectives, so it's very easy to project a mainstream mentality on to the indie, as so with the converse.