> The question I always come to is how big can you get without a label? and will there ever be a day when artists have full creative control of their craft? This would mean that the artist would need to value and understand business practices, distribution methods, contracting, etc.

If you're interested in this question, someone to watch closely is Chance the Rapper.

He started his music career just over four years ago when he received a 10 day suspension during his senior of highschool for allegedly having marijuana on campus. During those 10 days, he recorded the entirety of his first mixtape, 10-Day, and released it to datpiff.com and had relatively large success. The album was angry at times-- mostly complaining about the suspension, but also very fun and nostalgic. It was a third of Breakfast Club, half Dazed and Confused, and a sixth Ceelo-Green Fuck You. The production was sometimes great and sometimes really lacking, but on the whole it was impressive for an 18 year old with nothing but an old Macbook and 10 days of free time.

If I recall correctly, it received something like 10k downloads before his next album, Acid Rap, and that is where he really blew up. It was choir-inspired psychedelic rap with flawless production. It had dark moments talking about Chicago violence and losing friends. It retained the CeeLo-theme of "Screw you, I can do this myself." But this is where he got millions of downloads and became a household name to a sizable portion of 14-28 y/os-- and in only just a bit more than a year since his suspension.

At this point he started getting label offers like crazy, and he didn't like it. He saw the wild success he had in all of one year and didn't want to sign a label, and to today he still hasn't. He talks a lot about making a union for up-and-coming music artists.

One song he has that talks solely about this can be found here: 'https://soundcloud.com/chancetherapper/chance-the-rapper-the...

Young black boy, how he got the labels scared?
A&R's like, "Chano, you ain't playin' fair!
You gon' set a bad example for the average bear
You a Yogi, you should idle while in child's position"
I be like, naw, these my sons, this prenatal care
I'mma show em how to make it here and make it fair
Take it there, they could kill me and I ain't gon' care
You is just an ankle weight, lighter than some angel cake
Sweeter than some maple syrup, easier than Ableton
Make a plate and make a player
Make em play it
Just don't count your sheep before they hatch
You chickens 'fore your eggs
Eat your dinner 'fore you say your prayer

[...]

Young tactician, just got my taxes finished
Beat the tortoise by a hair in an '04 Ford Taurus
On a spare with a wax finish
There's a lot of metaphors, you just lack vision
You just bad business
UH!
All your shit been lower case
Lower class, lower key
I'm the only minor minority in priority
Sippin' gin and tonic while I plot upon authority
Author of my horoscope, feeling like the oracle
Ain't no rules, nigga
IGH!

Clearly continuing his "Fuck you!" mentality, now aimed at record companies instead of his highschool principal.

He's stated that one of his biggest idols as an aspiring Chicago rapper was Kanye West, and as someone who was watching him prior to Acid Rap, it was really fun to see that on West's most recent album he was featured in multiple songs-- still without a label. His dream was realized in a matter of a few years, and I think that clearly shows that mobility is at least possible in this day and age without a label

The question is if these platforms (soundcloud, datpiff, genius to an extent) can provide enough value to these artists that a symbiotic relationship is sustainable after they become popular. One of Chance's close friends, Vic Mensa, also came to popularity through soundcloud and datpiff, but he signed with a label soon after. Things worked out for him, too-- he has worked with West and appeared on SNL. Chance is more political and principled and is definitely an outlier-- so these platforms can't rely on artists having that mindset.