A juke box or record company made 80% of their sales off 20% of the product. The remaining one fifth of the sales was spread out over the other four fifths of the catalog. The bottom 20-50% were done at a loss covered by the cash cows and bargain bins or... out go the lights.

I doubt we know all that many present day major label execs well enough to qualify them as artists, musicians or people. I know I do not. Unless you are some class of perfect, odds are at least half the folks you complain about are smarter and more decent than you and the other half ain't.

When you write things down for yourself, with the hard numerals and engineering units in the columns, you define “folk” & “popular” & “now” – measured precisely how and compared to exactly what. No two people, plans or product will be the same.

I'm thinking your plans and big money venture capitalism's business plans won't intersect much at all. Where they do, the gains are mostly in your favour. Silicon Valley has made it easier than ever to make and distribute all genre of music on an international scale.

Ergo, there is more product (plans) than ever before; competing for a more diverse consumer base than ever before; at lower margins than ever before. That is the business competion you are facing down at your share/niche. It's not the Big Three.

If your "plan" is to have fun making music with and for friends and family... you are bulletproof where the majors are concerned.