Looks like the Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails incidents weren't an isolated action. Now, pop star Madonna has apparently joined the free agent fray and has signed directly with a concert promoter rather than a label. Other popular acts including Jamiroquai and Oasis are also reporting muling over direct sales. While this may seem like remarkable news for some, it should be noted that these are major acts with significant clout. While they may be able to eschew the label system, in all cases they've reached the plateau they've reached because of major label promotion which has supported them for more than a decade. Put it simply, these bands are already grown up, so the real question, particularly on this site, is whether a new band can grow without a label and the hype/promotion machine that brings. Moreover, despite all the talk about Radiohead's plan, the band is planning a CD release saying the following to BBC radio:

That's why we need a record company who have that infrastructure to deliver the CD.

With that in mind, it's also no question that recent hits from young bands like Fall Out Boy have been helped by the cluster-bomb marketing approach of labels like Island/Universal. So while many people are claiming these recent events to represent the death of the major system, it's far too early to make such an assertion.

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