Major labels were forced into a reactive position when activity by a vital, passionate minority necessitated a response. These meta-labels work with many indie labels to promote and sell their digital content online. Some work with exclusive digital content while others work with content non-exclusively. The label originally agreed to an exclusive deal because it believed the meta-label would be a good sales and distribution outlet. Either way, if the deal is exclusive the label doesn't have the option to take sales elsewhere.
Artists lose in two ways.
First, they are unlikely to have received any direct portion of the label's advance, because no such precedent has been set. Second, the artist's label has selected, on an exclusive basis, an online sales outlet that is not producing sales, and is twice removed from the artist. Ultimately, the metal-label determines how digital music gets promoted, licensed and sold online. Even if the label and its artsts understand best how its music should be presented in order to inspire sales, the meta-label determines where music gets placed and sold. Such conflicts of interest could restrict the number of potential marketing and distribution outlets the meta-label is willing to take advantage of, to generate sales.