Did you hear it? There’s a quiet revolution overtaking the music industry. 

If you’re trying to guess what Texas Leftist chose as the most significant event in music for 2013, here’s a hint… it ain’t Beyoncé. But I can guarantee you that what Beyoncé did was partly in response to this. Without Delay, the definitive moment in music was…

This is a list of the Grammy nominations for album of the year. By this point, few people are surprised to see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ smash hit album The Heist listed as a nominee. But we often forget that how they managed to get there represents a transfiguration of the music industry as we know it. The duo produced the album head to toe, front to back, as unsigned artists. The single Thrift Shop broke records by becoming the first song by an unsigned artist to reach number 1 on the Billboard charts since 1994. The single did this largely independent of the music industry’s traditional infrastructure… endless marketing/promo tours, heavy reliance on regional radio stations, and lengthy contract obligations. Instead, fans promoted the duo’s album by social media, which allowed it to go viral outside of the industry’s careful, calculated pre-destiny. Much to the envy of signed acts, the back end reward is just as significant. Being the sole writers, artists and producers means Macklemore and Ryan Lewis reap what they get in record sales, and the profits go directly to them. They also set their own touring and promo schedules.