The Collapse of Gatekeepers: What Happens When Artists Own Everything
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The Old Doors Are Still Standing, But the Locks Are Breaking
For most of the modern music business, artists were trained to stand in line.
Stand in line for the label. Stand in line for the radio programmer. Stand in line for the booking agent. Stand in line for the publicist. Stand in line for the playlist editor. Stand in line for the platform algorithm. Stand in line, wait your turn, be grateful, and maybe somebody with a desk, a budget, and a parking spot near the front of the building would decide your music was worth putting in front of people.
The Revenue Stack: How Indie Musicians Build Music Career One Layer at a Time
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There was a time when the music business sold artists a very simple dream. Get discovered. Get signed. Get played on the radio. Get into the stores. Get on the charts. Then, if the machine liked you enough, maybe you could build a career. That system was never as fair as people pretend it was, but at least everyone understood the path. The gatekeepers owned the doors, and the artist stood outside hoping someone would let them in.
The Tap Is the Door: How NFC Turns a Merch Table Into an Artist-Owned Revenue Machine
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There is a moment at every live show that most indie artists are letting slip right through their fingers. It does not happen onstage. It does not happen when the crowd cheers. It does not happen when someone posts a blurry video clip to Instagram and tags the band. It happens at the merch table, right after the show, when a real person is standing in front of you with a real emotional connection to what they just heard.
Low-End Control: How to Get Tight Bass and Kick Without Mud
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Why the Bottom End Makes or Breaks the Mix
Most beginner mixes do not fall apart because the vocal is terrible. They do not fall apart because the guitar tone is unusable. They usually fall apart because the low end turns into a swamp. The kick drum gets big, then the bass gets big, then somebody turns up the low knob because the speakers are not giving them enough chest punch, and suddenly the whole song sounds like it is wearing a winter coat indoors.
PK Mayo is a native son of northern Minnesota, raised in the mining town of Eveleth, where music first found him through the airwaves of local college radio station KUMD. Born Paul Kennedy Mayasich, he absorbed a wide range of sounds as a young listener, later referring to those formative radio years as his real musical education.
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“Breaking Chains” is a timely and insightful exploration of how decentralization is reshaping the music industry. Richard L’Hommedieu draws on deep industry knowledge to examine the shifting balance of power between artists, labels, and digital platforms. The book offers both a critique of the traditional music business and a roadmap for musicians seeking independence in a rapidly evolving landscape. With clear explanations and practical strategies, L’Hommedieu empowers readers to understand blockchain, streaming economics, and new models of ownership. More than just a guide, it’s a call to artists to reclaim control of their work and careers. A must-read for musicians, managers, and anyone curious about the future of music."
