The wave of the future?

I don't follow the whole downloading-music debate very closely, but I found this response to it very encouraging. It's a record company which allows you to "try before you buy." And it gives 50% of the purchase price to the musicians. Those of you who enjoy music more recent than disco (I generally don't), check it out.



Thanks to self-publishing and online bookstores, big publishing is on its way out; big music could be starting its death-spiral, too. Clearly their time is over--it's only a question as to whether they will go slowly, scratching and clawing and litigating and trying to buy favorable legislation, or wise up and start figuring out how to make money with a new model. Since they can't control the production of books/music/film, look for them to control the distribution. I don't usually pay attention to the cyber-cowboys who make pronouncements like "Big media is dead," but if we can keep the internet reliable and free, it's only a matter of time.