[steve-b]

If the national music industry falls apart the local music scenes will become smaller

Nonsense. The iron law is the same in ecosystems or markets: When an incumbent goes down, the survivors expand to fill the niche.

[discostu]

This isn't about ecosystems or markets, it's about exposure. If the national music industry falls apart then people will be exposed to less music, which will inspire fewer people to make music. You can see it going on right now in the symphony orchestra/ classical music section. Classical music isn't popular on the radio, and symphomy orchestras are losing audience, the average age of attendies is sky rocketing and they're dieing off. Soon that whole genre is going to disappear. If the national music industry falls apart the same thing will happen across the board, the audience will age and dwindle and a new generation will arise that won't even consider music a part of their lives, they will only associate with TV and film scores and will see no need to listen to it seperately.