The ideal music industry

The key part of the article, in my opinion, is at the very end:

Twenty-one consecutive concerts sold out in one city - even though each ticket probably cost over twice as much as a full-priced album. This, to me, should be the way musicians make their money (in addition to selling clothing, participating in endorsements, etc.). Free music for all, and the musicians still get rich.

Of course, most bands don't have the name recognition and popularity of either Radiohead or Prince - and they may want to enlist the help of a record company to assist in booking tours, finances, and publicity. Once again, however, free music doesn't seem to be a hindrance. In fact, many less-well-known artists use free music as an effective means of getting the word out. Those who run across their freely traded mp3s may be enticed to come to a concert, befriend them on MySpace, or - most importantly - to tell a friend.

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