status quo really been that good for musicians?

I don't know, has the status quo really been that good for musicians? Just from an outsider's perspective, it seems like in the MTV generation, big business has dictated the direction of music more than artists have, and to me that is not a good thing. The labels have an image and a sound they look for and then they push that (and only that) sound down the public's throats. Not only does this suck as far as what's on the radio, but it also stifles creative growth of other bands because bands that deviate from the labels' formula can't get signed.

In that regard, I'm kind of glad that things are getting shaken up. And to me, the internet is the main culprit.

On the effect on the internet on musicians' careers, David Bowie said the following: ''I don't even know why I would want to be on a label in a few years, because I don't think it's going to work by labels and by distribution systems in the same way . . . The absolute transformation of everything that we ever thought about music will take place within 10 years, and nothing is going to be able to stop it. I see absolutely no point in pretending that it's not going to happen…'Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity [. . .] You'd better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that's really the only unique situation that's going to be left. It's terribly exciting. But on the other hand it doesn't matter if you think it's exciting or not; it's what's going to happen.''

Far be it from me to argue with a man who sang a song called "Magic Dance" to a bunch of deranged muppets in The Labyrinth.

Really though, the fruits of the internet are already starting to show in how it could change the music industry. Radiohead's recent online-only album release is a good example of how it could be done: Circumvent the labels, the distribution, and the loss-producing cost of making cds, and put out digital music that promotes (1) the music itself, (2) touring and (3) merch sales. For music "purists" (sorry to use that term), that sounds like a pretty good proposition. It also sounds like an alright business model…at least for the creative side of the industry.

In my view, the creative use of the internet is the only way artists are going to be able to take back control of their music.

-Marc Theriault