“The more interesting question is now that it pretty much IS free, what then do we do?”

You’re only prescribing value to the music track itself here. In a saturated market, isn’t there value in making sure that the right music gets to the people who would enjoy it most?

Easy for Radiohead to do 7 albums in, as Radiohead fans will go and download the album.

It’s more difficult for new musicians to get their songs to people who would enjoy them – especially as the process of becoming signed to a label with money to spend on advertising to build up a national fanbase is now more or less an arbitrary process.

(And yes, Presentation Zen has saved my ass on more than one occasion.)

What a great and timely post. I enjoy your writing and find it to be inspiring and motivating.

From VC’s to serious audiences, everyone I know who’s important is asking that question.

I just saw the picture “American Gangster” and learned how heroin kingpin Frank Lucas cut out the middleman and imported the heroin himself to distribute in NYC metro area during the 70s. It got me thinking…

The technology is cutting out the middleman in connecting the Creators with the Audiences. Back in the day, bluesman Robert Johnson needed John Hammond to cut his record and connect to the masses.
In todays world, if Robert Johnson is serious about his music and connecting with his audience, he would have to learn recording and setting up in the internet – it’s a different kind of “instrument” he’d learn in addition to his guitar.
There’d be no need for Hammond (who might have been the “devil” Johnson references in the songs…).

People like stuff for free. More than 60% of audiences freeloaded Radioheand’s “In Rainbows.” As much as technology is changing the recorded medium in its role as a revenue stream, nothing will replace live performance. In fact, with music so accessible in the solitary confines of our digital devices, normal people would crave and look forward to live events – increasing the value of such a thing.

Long story short, the ones that will succeed will be musicians who have always seen live performance as the only benchmark of their revenues and success, and have gotten over their Luddite tendencies by learning technology to bring their audiences to the masses.
… the ones who have always seen the record as a “promo” for their live performances, and not the other way around.

But… what do I know? I’m just a musician… in the same steps as everyone… trying to get the respect what’s due to me…

Please keep up the writing on the cutting edge. I look forward to reading more.

~E