Part 5/10:

The debate points to a broader reality: artists flock to labels or invest in their own music to scale the difficult, resource-intensive process of creating and promoting music. Building a successful independent career demands extraordinary effort, resources, and connections—assets well beyond just songwriting talent.

The suggestion that artists like Taylor Swift should entirely self-fund and self-promote is both valid and unrealistic at her level of fame. Labels provide not only funding but also industry connections, marketing, and distribution—intrinsic value that is hard to replicate independently. Critics argue that her failure or refusal to go fully independent stems from a preference for these benefits rather than an inability to own her work.