I don't think that there's a great difference in being signed with Live Nation or WB from the artist point of view, other of course than financial benefits which might be more attractive in live nation.
The big change is in the conception of the big players in the music field. There's a lot of money and opportunities, but at the same time not that much room for everyone. Companies are trying to grab whatever they can, as we can see in the Live Nation case, where a promotion company takes the place of a label.