"You can choose to opt out and languish in relative obscurity.... or opt in and take your chances with the others"

Actually it's not our choice. Some only sign people they can exploit (just ask some of the good young acts how much money they really make from folk music).

Some of us are already too experienced, or we went there before and got burned (cf CM).

"No one ever said it was fair" Not in business no, but the BBC actually insist on fairness.