Is the audience for popular music created by the music industry?

In my mind, I do not think the audience for popular music is created by music industry even though they do get the music out there to the people. The people themselves decide whether they like a song and spread the word which creates an audience for pop music. The music industry however do sometimes promote pop music to the limit where we have no choice but to listen to it, this is done through radio, advertisements and music played in clubs. This could be argued as the music industry creating an audience for pop music. It is not realistic to suggest that pop music can exist entirely unmediated by the forces of the music industry.

However it is up to the public to become the audience of pop music regardless of the music industry forcing the latest songs upon us. The music industry have a target market aimed at young people for pop music and are likely to focus all their attention on creating this audience for pop music.