The Economics of Grime:
In 2002-2004 a big tune could expect to sell between 2000 and 4000 units.
In 2006 a big tune ie: Gangsterz sells 1500 units. There are about 6 of these a year that sell on that level. For example Jon E Cash - Hoods Up or Youngdot - Bazooka Riddim. Numbers are down. Ergo the profit generated from one track is down too. Costs to record one tune remain effectively the same.
In 2006 however as vinyl isn't selling unless you have the one club smash, MCs and Crews are moving to CD format, as a herd mentality reaction to "ohnoes, teh vinyl is d34d!!1" cries. Mix CDs are sold in shops for the same price as vinyl. That means they are sold wholesale to the retailer at the same unit price. Around £3.50-£4. However, a mix CD costs half as much to manufacture than a vinyl (500 whites for £500 or 1000 JME style CDs for £550), you would assume, great! More money!. No, and here is why.
A mix CD contains around 20 tracks, these all need to have been recorded in a studio at a rate of around £20 an hour. Normally a tune takes 3 hours to finish including a rough mix down.
That's costs of £1200 as opposed to costs of £60 to record the contents of a vinyl release. Often the recording costs are nil if it is an instrumental release.
So while vinyl and CD sell the same units, and CDs are more consumer friendly and cheaper to manufacture, the actual recording costs of that volume of music when you are dealing with sales of under 2000 you find it hard to break even at all.
Do you see why it is vital that SOME form of proper infrastructure of distribution and sales is implemented in this scene, because it will reach a point when these kids genuinely cannot afford to carry on making it. I've hit that point as a DJ twice already as it is.