Is the Audience For Popular Music Created by the Music Industry?

The music industry exists for one sole reason; to make money, but whether it's audience is created by the industry itself or its listener is still debated. Record companies mimic music styles if they see they are successful and they sell this to their audience through merchandising, music press and retail. Record companies such as Universal, EMI, Sony BMG and Warner depends (to an extent) on retail companies such as HMV. In his book The Music Business and Recording Industry Geoffrey Hull states that “it depends upon popular tastes and culture and consumer activity to purchase or access the music and upon technology to deliver that access” (2010: pg 33). I believe that the industry does create the audience for popular music as it cannot exist through just 'listener interaction'.