In the past, all that was required was great song, copyrights, legal representation and a label contract. The  latter of which whose benefits were determined by the level of legal representation available. But at a minimum a competent, honest, and trust-worthy legal representative was a must.

The advent of digital media changed the face of not only music, but all facets of individual creativity. The current business model requires navigating a sea of codes (ISRC's, IWC's, UPC's, etc) and various encoding processes to insure your hardwork is not only profitable, but protected.