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- The Music Business is Broken (and it’s About to Get Much Worse)
The Music Business is Broken (and it’s About to Get Much Worse)
Here's How I'm Going to Fix it!
Carl Hitchborn
October 24, 2024
Imagine a world where only the music of dead legends gets played.
No new voices.
No fresh sounds.
Just echoes from the past, playing over and over again.
The stages you dream of playing on are turning into ghost theaters, where fake versions of old stars shine while real artists fade away.
Want to see the Beatles?
Elvis?
Queen?
KISS?
Sure - just watch their holograms dance across the stage, perfectly choreographed, but soulless, night after night.
Miss talking to your favorite artist?
Don't worry - there's an AI clone waiting to chat with you, pretending to be human while your real messages go unheard.
Welcome to what dystopia looks like—not just for artists, but for all of us.
Think this sounds like a scary movie?
Think it's too crazy to be real?
Think again.
This isn't some far-off nightmare - it's being built right now, piece by piece, in fancy offices by people who profit from your silence.
These people who are driving the corporate machine, the same people who promised to help new artists grow, are unashamedly favoring profits over people and quietly building a world where new art goes to die.
While you chase likes and follows, they're creating a future where your voice doesn't matter.
While you're busy spending every waking hour desperately trying to go viral on TikTok in the hope you're going to get spotted, they're busy planning your demise.
The scariest part?
They're using your hard work to make it happen.
Every time you play by their rules, chase their numbers, or beg for their attention, you're helping them build the walls that will lock you out.
This is how they are keeping you distracted from what is really happening.
This isn't just a scary story to keep you up at night.
It's happening now.
Today.
And with each passing minute, we get closer to this dead-end future.
The question isn't if this will happen.
The questions we must ask ourselves burn deeper:
How will we fight back against this artistic apocalypse?
Who will stand with me to stop this nightmare from becoming our children's reality?
When will we say "enough" to those profiting from the death of creativity?
The time to act isn't tomorrow.
It's not next week.
It's right now.
Because if we don't unite to stop this horrifying future today, we'll be forced to explain to the next generation why we stood by and watched while real music died.
You might think I'm just another voice shouting into the void, creating panic to catch your attention.
My only wish is that this was the truth.
What I'm about to share isn't clickbait - it's a raw, unfiltered look into the abyss that's swallowing your future whole.
The truth I'm about to lay bare will shake you to your core.
It will make you question everything you thought you knew about the industry you've poured your heart into.
First, you'll feel the shock - like a punch to the gut that leaves you gasping.
Then comes the sadness - a deep, crushing weight as you realize how many dreams have already been sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed.
The hopelessness will hit next - that suffocating realization that the system isn't just broken, it's deliberately designed to break you.
But here's where the story shifts.
Because while others saw this approaching storm and ran for cover, I chose to stand and fight.
I've spent years in the trenches, watching the machinery of destruction at work, learning its weaknesses, finding its breaking points.
And now, I'm not just offering warnings - I'm presenting a blueprint for revolution.
This isn't some patch job on a crumbling foundation.
This is a complete rebuild from the ground up.
A new music industry that preserves everything magical about creating art - the passion, the connection, the raw human energy that makes music touch souls.
But this time, we're stripping away the cancer that's been eating away at artists' dreams for decades.
No more predatory contracts.
No more soul-crushing "standard practices."
No more watching your art being turned into a commodity while you struggle to pay rent.
This isn't just a better way - it's the only way forward if we want real music to survive.
And while the titans of the old industry are busy building their mausoleum of holograms and AI, we're building something far more powerful:
A future where authentic artistry doesn't just survive - it thrives.
The choice facing us now isn't whether to act.
It's whether we'll be remembered as the generation that watched music die, or the ones who rose up and saved it.
But now, before I tell you how we're going to do this, let me first show you exactly what we're up against…
The Industry's Death Spiral
The evolution of the music business isn't just a timeline - it's a story of how art became an industry, and how that industry is now devouring itself.
Let me break this down:
1. In the late 1800s, record labels emerged as supposed champions of artists.
They positioned themselves as partners, promising to help creators share their art with the world.
What started as a support system would soon morph into something far more sinister.
2. Post-World War II, we witnessed an explosion.
The phonograph revolution made music accessible to the masses.
Vinyl records were cheap to produce, radio waves carried melodies across continents, and television turned musicians into global icons.
The industry wasn't just growing - it was soaring.
3. The 1980s ushered in the golden age of physical media.
First came cassettes, then CDs - each format cheaper to produce than the last, but sold at premium prices.
The industry executives were swimming in profit pools while artists were barely keeping their heads above water.
4. Then came the internet tsunami of the late '90s.
Napster emerged as the industry's boogeyman, and almost overnight, the music business empire began to crumble.
Even Apple's iTunes, riding in like a digital knight in shining armor, couldn't fully stop the bleeding.
What followed was a 15-year descent into financial free fall.
5. Enter Spotify in 2006 - the streaming savior that promised to resurrect the industry from its digital grave.
And resurrect it did. By 2015, the business was growing again, reaching a staggering 120% growth by the end of 2023.
But this salvation came with a dark twist that nobody saw coming.
6. As TikTok rose to prominence, major labels shifted their talent-hunting grounds to the viral video platform.
Artists became digital gladiators, fighting for attention in 15-second bursts.
But while everyone was distracted by this circus, something more sinister was taking root.
The industry giants made a chilling discovery: the ghosts of music's past were more profitable than its future. Dead artists don't demand better royalties.
They don't require development budgets.
They don't talk back.
The major labels are now raking in more than $1 million per hour just from their back catalogs - music created by artists who are either dead or far removed from their prime.
Every single hour, of every single day, these corporate giants are printing money from the ghosts of music's past.
They're not earning it.
They're not creating it.
They're simply collecting it - a perpetual profit machine built on the foundations of yesterday's creativity.
This revelation isn't just shocking - it's the smoking gun that explains why they're so eager to kill the future of music.
Why gamble on new talent when you're already making record profits on the daily from artists who can't demand better deals or challenge your authority?
7. Today, we're standing at the edge of an artistic apocalypse.
Major labels are now systematically dismantling their frontline operations - the very departments responsible for discovering and developing new talent.
They're not just turning their backs on the future; they're actively working to erase it.
Why invest in tomorrow's uncertain stars when yesterday's legends are a guaranteed gold mine?
But this isn't where the story ends.
This historical trajectory isn't just a lesson in industry evolution - it's a warning siren screaming into the night.
The major labels aren't content with just controlling the past; they're actively working to prevent the future from taking shape.
Every time they cut another development budget, every time they choose to promote a greatest hits compilation over a new artist's debut, they're laying another brick in the wall between artists and their dreams.
This isn't just about business strategies or profit margins anymore.
This is about the very survival of new music.
And while the industry giants are busy building their museum of past glories, real, living artists are being slowly suffocated.
Wall Street's Puppet Show
Just when you thought the horror story couldn't get darker, let me pull back another curtain.
You might be thinking, "Well, at least we still have live music. At least we can still make money on the road."
That's what they want you to think.
That's the last thread of hope they're letting you cling to - for now.
Because while you've been focused on the major labels' death grip on recorded music, something far more sinister has been slithering into the industry.
Enter the true predators: BlackRock and Blackstone - financial behemoths that make record labels look like corner shops.
These Wall Street giants aren't just buying music catalogs; they're purchasing the very souls of artists.
They're treating legacies like items in a dollar store, snatching up not just the music, but everything - every piece of an artist's identity.
Let that terrifying truth sink in: These deals aren't just for song rights.
They're for everything.
Every.
Single.
Thing.
The artist's voice.
The artist's face.
The artist's brand.
Transformed into commodities to be exploited long after they're gone.
And if you think I'm exaggerating, let me introduce you to Pophouse Entertainment - a company that should keep every artist awake at night.
Pophouse Entertainment created ABBA Voyage - that "groundbreaking" hologram show that everyone celebrated as a technological marvel.
But here's the truly terrifying part: In 2023 alone, this digital puppet show generated a staggering £103.7 million ($129 million).
From just 374 performances.
In just one city.
That's 1.1 million people paying to watch holograms perform in London.
Now, let that sink in for a moment.
One city.
One ghost artist.
One year.
Now multiply that by every major city on the planet.
Multiply it by every legacy artist these corporations are frantically acquiring.
Multiply it by decades of future exploitation.
The numbers become astronomical.
And guess what?
These digital avatars never get tired.
They never demand fair pay.
They never age.
They never miss a note.
They're the perfect profit machines.
This wasn't just a show.
It was a proof of concept.
A demonstration of how they can replace living, breathing artists with digital puppets that never challenge the system.
And before you think, ah yes, but that is just one artist, think again.
In digging deeper into the recent catalog sale deal of legendary icons KISS–acquired by guess who?
Pophouse–this deal isn't just about the music.
This deal is an EVERYTHING deal.
It's about creating a template for the future where artists are nothing more than intellectual property to be digitized, replicated, and exploited infinitely.
This isn't science fiction anymore.
This is the blueprint for the complete industrialization of artistry.
They're not just coming for your music.
They're coming for your identity.
They're coming for your future.
And they're doing it with a smile, calling it "innovation" while they forge the chains that will bind generations of artists to come.
The most chilling part?
This is just the beginning.
Every hologram show that succeeds is another nail in the coffin of live music as we know it.
Every digital avatar that takes the stage is another artist who will never get the chance to stand there themselves.
Now let me show you how deep this rabbit hole really goes.
The Calculated Extinction
For years, myself and others within the industry have scratched our heads at the astronomical figures being thrown around for catalog acquisitions:
$200 million for Bob Dylan's rights.
$500 million for Bruce Springsteen's legacy.
A staggering $1.27 BILLION for Queen's musical empire.
The numbers seemed insane, reckless even.
But they weren't crazy - they were calculated.
These weren't just purchases; they were investments in a future where real artists become obsolete.
Let me show you how the puzzle pieces fit together.
Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group - both publicly traded companies - along with Sony Music (part of the publicly traded Sony empire) have started showing their true colors.
The mask is finally slipping.
When Universal Music began its "job cuts" earlier this year, they weren't random layoffs.
They were surgical strikes.
Every single cut targeted the frontline labels - the very departments responsible for discovering, nurturing, and developing new artists.
Then Warner Music Group followed suit, announcing their own "restructuring."
But here is the thing:
They're not just cutting jobs.
They're systematically purging the industry of its heart and soul.
Some of the most respected, most passionate, most artist-focused executives in music history are being shown the door.
These aren't just executives - they're the people who have pioneered musical history.
Without the artist development visionaries of the past, there would be no Bob Dylan.
No KISS.
No Abba.
These elite level artist developers who are exiting the system are the people who saw Ed Sheeran when he was just Ed Sheeran.
Who recognized Bruno Mars before the world knew his name.
Who believed in Dua Lipa when she was just another dreamer with a demo.
And now they're being erased.
Replaced by algorithms designed to resurface the history of music.
Substituted by spreadsheets.
Because in this dystopian new world, they don't need artist developers.
They don't need people with ears for talent or hearts for artists.
They need accountants to count the endless stream of money flowing from their digital puppet shows.
Those mind-boggling catalog deals?
Now we see the method behind the madness.
This isn't about preserving musical history.
This is about stifling artists of the future.
A future where music isn't created - it's manufactured.
Where artists aren't developed - they're designed
Where passion isn't nurtured - it's programmed.
The major label machine and their Wall Street puppeteers aren't just changing the music industry.
They're plotting its extinction.
And they're betting billions that we won't realize it until it's too late.
Their mission is simple: maximize profits, minimize risk, and slowly suffocate the future of new music.
And in this vacuum of true leadership, artists are drowning.
Imagine being thrown into a stormy sea of endless "opportunities."
Every wave brings another service promising success.
Every current pulls you toward another "essential" platform.
Every self-proclaimed guru claims to have the secret formula.
The golden age of artist development is dead.
Gone are the days when talent was nurtured like a rare flower, given time to bloom, supported by people who understood that greatness can't be microwaved.
Instead, we're watching a feeding frenzy.
New companies are sprouting like weeds after rain, each one promising their piece of the puzzle:
"We'll handle your streaming!"
"We'll boost your social media!"
"We'll get you playlisted!"
"We'll manage your metadata!"
But here's the brutal truth:
None of these players have any real skin in the game.
They don't care if you succeed or fail.
They're not invested in your future.
They just want their monthly fee.
Their quarterly commission.
Their piece of your dream.
The result?
A music ecosystem that's been shattered into a thousand shards, each one cutting deeper into the artist's chance of survival.
It's like trying to build a house when every contractor only knows how to work on one room - and none of them are talking to each other.
The foundation is crumbling.
The walls aren't aligned.
The roof has holes.
And artists are expected to be the architects, builders, and interior designers all at once.
This isn't just fragmentation - it's systematic destruction of the artist's path to success.
And while artists scramble to piece together some semblance of a career from these broken pieces, the corporate machine keeps humming along, counting their hologram profits and planning their next digital resurrection.
The Human Cost
But here's the ugly truth: the music business has always been outright dark, outright disgusting.
It treats artists as commodities, but the power players treat people much worse - not just the artists, but everyone they come into contact with.
The stories of artists who have fought against this system throughout the years are countless, each a testament to its exploitative nature.
This isn't just a broken system; it's a malignant one, designed to extract maximum value while giving minimum in return.
The music industry's failure to support artists' mental health has long been a glaring, unresolved issue.
None of the major labels have dedicated mental well-being departments, and not a single top-level executive is actively championing the cause.
This starkly reflects the system's relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of people.
The recent, tragic death of 1D star Liam Payne has sparked an unprecedented wave of artists and industry professionals speaking out, exposing the harsh reality that mental health remains an afterthought in an industry built to prioritize revenue over human well-being.
The irony is palpable.
An industry built on creativity and expression has become a machine of exploitation and suppression.
It's a system that stifles the very voices it should be amplifying, that crushes the spirits it should be nurturing.
As someone who has witnessed the dark underbelly of this industry firsthand, who has seen the toll it takes on artists and creators, I can no longer remain silent.
And so, with the major labels clearly setting themselves up to exit artist development for good, we need a true revolution in the music industry.
We need to dismantle the exploitative systems that have been in place for far too long and build something new.
Something fair.
Something sustainable.
Something that puts creativity and artists first.
This is a call to arms for every artist, every creator, every person who believes in the power of music to change the world.
We can't let the short-sighted greed of a few determine the cultural legacy we leave for future generations.
It's time to reclaim this incredible industry from those who see music as mere commodity.
The future of music - the future of art itself - depends on it.
The battle for the soul of music is upon us.
And I, for one, intend to fight with everything I've got.
The Baker's Revolution
They thought a baker couldn't understand their precious industry - let alone change it.
But while they were guarding their gates, I was building something they couldn't control.
Because in this fight, we're not just saving an industry - we're saving a vital part of our shared human experience.
The time to act isn't tomorrow - it's now.
The time for change isn't soon - it's now.
The future of music–and the future of creativity itself–hangs in the balance.
I'm not just talking the talk—I’m walking the walk with a battle plan that's been forged in the fires of six years of relentless preparation.
This isn't built on mere hypotheses or industry 'best practices' - it's grounded in fundamental truths that the gatekeepers hope you never discover.
And it's not just a plan I believe might work—it's one I've already proven can shatter their carefully constructed limitations.
The Proof of Concept
I've been down this road before, creating unprecedented results that made the industry giants tremble.
In just five shows and in less than 2 years, I took an unknown UK alternative rock band from nothing to selling 10,000 tickets in London - a feat they said was impossible.
The results speak for themselves:
338,787,218 million streams on Spotify and 100s of millions across Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music
86,746 tickets sold across the United Kingdom
61,359 physical albums, across both vinyl and CD
Securing placements on major radio stations like BBC Radio 1
Snaring synchronization placements in major global advertising campaigns
THE HUNNA: FROM ZERO TO SELLING 10,000 TICKETS IN LONDON IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS.
We were poised to make even bigger waves, but the powers that be saw their control slipping away and poisoned the band's minds with empty promises of greener pastures.
I detail this story in the second edition of my book, Zero to Record Breaker - a testament to what happens when you dare to challenge their system.
At that moment, with momentum surging and success proven, the easy path would have been to find more artists, rinse and repeat.
But I saw something bigger - a chance not just to break their rules, but to rewrite them entirely.
That's what I've been meticulously crafting - a revolutionary blueprint that will change everything.
A plan to achieve the goal I've had since the day I stepped away from my family bakery and dared to enter their precious industry:
To build the biggest and fairest music company in the world and in the process create a brand new music industry where artists don't just survive, they thrive.
Before I unveil the details of this plan, I want you to see the future I've been fighting for - a future that will be remembered as the dawn of the artist revolution.
This is a future where:
Artists reclaim their power from those who've profited from their dreams for far too long
Creativity isn't just a commodity to be traded but a force for genuine change
Mental health isn't an afterthought but a foundation
Artist development isn't a marketing term but a sacred commitment
Fairness isn't just promised - it's guaranteed
This isn't just another industry promise meant to keep you hoping while they profit from your patience.
It's a revolution that's already begun, and with the right plan - my plan - it's one we'll win together.
The gatekeepers bet against a baker once before.
Look how that turned out.
The only question is: are you ready to be part of what comes next?
As we stand here today, we must remember one thing: every empire in history thought it was too big to fail…
Building Tomorrow's Empire: Power to the Artists
A mission to build the biggest and fairest music company in the world is no small undertaking.
But the truth runs deeper - the vision is far more expansive than most could imagine.
While they're busy plotting the demise of the future of music, we're building an empire from the ground up.
We're not just creating new pathways - we're engineering an entirely new ecosystem that will make their obsolete model irrelevant.
Yes, we'll strategically use their bridges to cross their moats - but only until we've built something far more powerful.
This isn't just another platform or service - it's a complete reimagining of what's possible when artists are truly empowered.
In this ecosystem:
We're not chasing vanity metrics or dancing to the algorithm's tune
We're not looking for viral moments or empty followers
We're seeking artists who are ready to change the world - genuine souls with the courage to create meaningful art
Artists will be chosen not by their social media numbers, but by their human potential - what I call 'people metrics.'
In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, we're witnessing a perfect convergence.
The tools are ready.
The world is ready.
And after six years of preparation, I'm ready.
At its foundation, artists will be guided through the Artist Success Pathway - a system I've spent years perfecting through blood, sweat, and unwavering dedication.
This isn't just another educational program - it's a blueprint for artistic liberation.
For those who align with our values, when we become partners to us it is simple: it's a sacred commitment.
We'll fight for your art with the same intensity you pour into creating it.
No Barriers:
Age won't be a barrier
Genre won't be a limitation
Background won't be a boundary
Where in the world you live will not hold you back
Our priority isn't to chase the old industry's obsession with creating superstars.
Their model of betting everything on one artist while letting twenty-five others fade into obscurity is a relic of a dying age.
We're creating something far more powerful - an ecosystem where diversity isn't just welcomed, it's celebrated.
Where an artist's worth isn't measured by their streaming numbers, but by the depth of their impact on their audience.
The traditional industry wants you to believe that success means millions of casual listeners.
I'm here to tell you that true success can mean a thousand devoted fans who truly understand your art.
But we're taking that concept further than anyone has dared to imagine.
We're not just helping artists find their thousand true fans - we're showing them how to build thriving businesses around those connections.
In the ecosystem I'm building:
Success isn't a winner-takes-all game
Thousands of artists can flourish simultaneously
Each grows their impact year after year
Some will reach arenas, others will cultivate intimate communities - both are equally valuable in my vision
We're not just talking about survival here - we're talking about artists building generational wealth through their art.
Artists creating sustainable businesses that grow steadily, predictably, reliably.
This isn't about viral moments or fleeting fame.
It's about building something that lasts.
Something that grows stronger with each passing year.
Where an artist with 5,000 devoted fans can make more impact - and more income - than one with a million casual listeners.
This is the future of music - not a pyramid with a few stars at the top, but a vast landscape of thriving artistic entrepreneurs.
Each one making their unique impact.
Each one building their own sustainable future.
Each one solving problems through their art.
This isn't some utopian fantasy - it's a meticulously engineered reality.
The scale we can achieve in today's world would be unimaginable to those who came before us.
As this ecosystem launches, it carries with it artists I've been preparing in the shadows.
Artists who will prove that what I achieved with The Hunna wasn't luck - it was science.
This will be a company that transforms the industry's acceptance of failure:
We're not aiming for one success in twenty-five
We're aiming for success in every single artist we partner with
When we invest in an artist, we're in it for life
We'll be there in the spotlight and in the shadows
We'll be there when the sun shines and especially when storms rage
This isn't just about building venues, festivals, or platforms.
It's about creating a global network of support systems that nurture both the art and the artist.
Our first artist isn't just aiming for 5,000 people in one city.
We're aiming for arenas in 100 cities within two years.
This isn't bravado - it's a calculated certainty based on proven systems and strategic innovation.
Over these years of preparation, I've connected with the world's elite in growth hacking, marketing, operations, and execution.
I've had the time to reverse engineer every success, every failure, every moment that led to this point.
I'm here today having built direct, personal connections with over 30,000 artists who purchased Zero to Record Breaker - not through some faceless platform, but through a genuine human-to-human bond that defies the industry's cold, transactional norms.
But it goes deeper than book sales.
The People's Research
I've spent countless hours - over 5,000 one-on-one Zoom calls to be precise - listening to artists pour out their hearts.
Artists from every corner of the globe.
Artists of every genre imaginable.
Artists at every stage of their journey.
Each call wasn't just a conversation - it was a window into their world, their struggles, their dreams.
While the industry executives sat in their towers making assumptions about what artists need, I was in the trenches.
Learning.
Listening.
Understanding.
Over 5,000 stories of hope, frustration, determination, and dreams deferred.
That's not market research - that's immersion in the very soul of what it means to be an artist today.
For more than 15 years, I've been studying this industry from every angle:
First as an outsider - the baker who dared to question their sacred systems
Then as a disruptor - proving their limitations were self-imposed
Now as a revolutionary - armed with knowledge they never wanted anyone to possess
Every victory, every setback, every late-night conversation with an artist on the other side of the world - it's all been preparation.
The industry "experts" claim to know what artists need because they've spent years in board rooms.
I know what artists need because I've spent years in the trenches with them.
This isn't theoretical knowledge gathered from spreadsheets and market reports.
This is hard-won wisdom earned through real connections, real conversations, and real results.
The gatekeepers may have their databases, but I have something far more valuable.
I have the trust of thousands of artists who've shared their deepest fears and highest aspirations with me.
This positions me not just to understand the problem, but to solve it.
Not just to see the future, but to build it.
Every conversation, every struggle shared, every triumph celebrated - it's all led to this moment.
I'm not just ready to revolutionize the music industry.
I'm uniquely positioned to make it happen.
Because this isn't about what I think artists need.
This is about what I know they need - because they've told me themselves, 5,000 times over.
The time for studying the problem is over.
The time for action is now.
The foundation of this ecosystem is ArtistOS - launching November 18th.
This isn't just another platform launch - it's the beginning of an artistic revolution.
If you're an artist or work with artists, this is your moment.
To join the ArtistOS waiting list, you simply need to subscribe right here on my personal newsletter and blog.
For those artists already connected with me directly, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaiting you - when you read this, be sure to get in touch with me directly and ask me what it is.
The time for waiting is over.
The time for action is now.
Together, we're not just going to prevent the industry's decline - we're going to catalyze its renaissance.
This is the dawn of the artist revolution.
This is where art becomes the answer to the world's problems.
-The Baker
Solving the World's Problems Through Art | #TheTimeToDoIsNow
On a Mission to Build the Biggest Music Company in the World and in the Process Create a Brand New Music Industry Where Artists Don't Just Survive, They Thrive.
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