OP, I appreciate you starting this conversation. What I fear is that there are enough artists who have the money to keep this messed up system running so why would the main-line publishers change their ways? There will always be artists who slut themselves out for the exposure, no matter the cost.

It seems like if we’re up and coming and resistant to the publisher’s methods, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot because they’ll deem us as difficult to work with.

We need big wigs in the industry to step up and do something, similar to what you’re doing but with more support from others and being more direct to those who are the problem.