This one's not easy to pin down. Honestly I'd say it depends on the type of music that an artist is trying to make. If it's conformist and popular then our society will help and propel it along in every way imaginable. If however, it's against the grain then an artist will probably find themselves fighting an uphill battle against unwilling agents and hostile PR flacks.
Look at the Metal scene in Europe compared to the Metal scene here. The US is dead, all our record companies want to get behind is Disney and Lil Wayne, because it's not dangerous and fits right into the neat little pigeonholes of Political correctness. In Europe they're way more relaxed, and the Metal thrives.
This country is turning into a land of mindless numb plastic little gray sheep.
