Kim Dotcom - Megabox, disruptive new music service 14 years ago
Labels, both big and small, benefit many artists in ways outside distribution. Many musicians join labels to be financed, hand-held for recording, cross-marketed and advertised. The financing is significant, allowing many to produce novice music for long periods while improving their talents. Websites alone and zero-cost distribution methods, including streaming, don't allow the artist to survive. Not all artists want or need labels, but many opt for them. Interestingly, even the few artists who become popular without labels usually sign label deals for the business management and exposure. Free distribution doesn't help artists to pay for production, so Mega might have a problem there.