Isn't that the point of the music business? They look at talent, then decide if select the "ramen profitable" ones and (try to) hyperscale their popularity with judicious A&R spending. I think people outside the music industry criminally underrate effect A&R. It is really the difference between nobody and famous.

For anyone not in the know about the music industry, "A&R" means:

    > Artists and repertoire... It refers to the department of a record company that is in charge of talent scouting and the creative development of recording artists.