Through the growing authority and dominance of the major labels in the music industry, they have unwittingly revolutionized how and when consumers listen to music. music, with the help of technology of course. In the age of technology, the function and needs of major record labels have changed dramatically and, in turn, affected the market. Changes in the way consumers access music have led to the emergence of a variety of different media in which music can be accessed and distributed. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter allow artists to communicate with audiences for free while giving them the opportunity to get their music out there on a global scale. Online streaming sites like Spotify and Pandora have challenged the role of major record labels in the industry, allowing customers to listen to music and create collections without purchasing entire albums. By 2010, the online music industry was booming and "in 2014, the industry's global digital revenues grew 6.9 percent to US$6.85 billion." For the first time, the industry derived the same proportion of revenue from digital channels (46%) as from physical format sales (46%). http://www.ifpi.org/facts-and-stats.php While artists and consumers benefited greatly from these advances in the music industry, the major record labels were losing significant revenue and had to