Is the audience for popular music created by the music industry

The music industry is not just made up of recording companies but is also made up of music retail, music press, music technology, music merchandising and royalties and licensing. There is an argument that the audience for popular music is created by the music industry, however usually it is the music industry that is the last ones to act on musical trends, an example being Nirvana in the 90’s starting on a small independent label before being signed to a major label leading the way for other similar artists. Though the point could be made that once a genre is successful the music industry floods the market with similar sounding music (Fenster and Swiss, 1999). Major record companies tend to discourage artists creativity and shape what the audience wants to hear however the case can be made that this is not possible an example being the almost overnight disappearance of disco music in the 70’s proving that the audience will not just take what they are given. I think the music industry is out to make a profit possible and creates or at least shapes audiences to make this easier.