What the wooing label executives neglected to mention was that, according to Pollstar, only 225 of the 4,500 to 6,000 active artists being promoted and distributed each year will ever make any real money for their record companies — let alone for themselves. In an industry with $6 billion in annual record sales, 90 percent of all acts signed to major labels will be dropped — which translates to a one-in-3,000 chance of sticking.

"Roughly 340,000 Mary’s Danish records were sold; not one member has to date received a penny of royalties."

From a sobering article about the fall of the early 90's band, Mary's Danish.