I also have heard repeatedly that a lot of artists trying to get signed to a label won’t be considered unless they already have an established following online. They have no choice but to play the influencer game if they want to even have a chance.

V4V is not a model that allows anyone but the top of the top elite to make a living, and even that top of the top would be able to make orders of magnitude more otherwise. Nostr can help content creators connect with consumers and get paid directly, but you still need a pricing mechanism that isn't one-sided like V4V is. The only way you can sell something is if you own it. That is, if you control the access to it. I think paywalls (zapwalls?) do exist on Nostr right?