Since the dawn of Napster in the late 90s, the Internet has been an all out free-love-bearing orgy for music and media in general. From heavy metal goliath Metallica to major record labels such as SONY, the industry has constantly been living in fear of the consumer, rather than embracing the consumer’s versatility. While the immobile giants have stumbled and faltered trying to combat the new age of the Internet, many independent labels have formed — taking advantage of the new ways of connecting with listeners and those whom would never have otherwise crossed the label’s music. Record labels were started by “big suits” with big pockets to take the coffee shop-tarnished faces to the masses and reap the real benefits, while the artist retains only the face.

A record label doesn’t play music, usually doesn’t write music (unless it’s a boy band, etc.), doesn’t book shows; it doesn’t do anything artistic whatsoever. So what exactly does a record label actually do? The answer is short. A label essentially stamps a name on an album and markets and distributes the releases. On the other hand, big suits can move people to big places quickly. But this is the 21st Century and suits are rarely welcome in music anymore.

From P2P networks to digital downloads to viral videos, people have consistently found a way to obtain free music as fast as they can think of a title. Music can be passed for free faster than one can hear it. It’s the case of realizing you can leave the big bully behind and go it alone. And that’s exactly the chain that the British rock trailblazer Radiohead broke last week as it released its new album, In Rainbows. Bands can send their music across the world for free until they catch on somewhere; they don’t have to worry about getting onto a label that will painfully take on this task these days. In Radiohead’s case, they’re already huge, so when they move, fans follow. In an age when iPods outnumber CDs for most young hipsters, Radiohead has not only taken advantage of digital downloads, but also the big suit business in selling it themselves to take all the profit, cutting out the middleman. In addition, Radiohead avoids manufacturing costs, shipping charges, and damage costs by embracing the digital release. Much to the dismay of record labels, already
more giants in the music business are rumored to jump onboard to follow
Radiohead, including Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Jamiroquai, and Oasis (yes, the
band still exists).

Today music fans don’t live on the radio, they don’t live on Rolling Stone, they don’t even live on MTV anymore. They live right here: the Internet. They harp on blogs, they watch videos on YouTube, they damn writers on websites like Jambase and PitchforkMedia, and they download music anywhere and anytime they can. So, advertising and following music in general has become a function of the Internet and social media as well. The world is only beginning to see the end of the hard copy and the following of the online trail. In addition to music lovers flocking the keyboards, for the first time in history, artists and the like can follow the happenings, sentiment, and commentary of fans and critics alike through media monitoring. Finding the music online is only a fraction of the power of the Internet’s ability to connect the music world. If the tables are turned, the tables and reigns are handed to the artists; it’s a two-way street. What’s the reaction to the new album? What about the new video? The general word on the band?

People all over the Internet offer up their own analysis, often with great research. Hitwise Intelligence analyzed website hits relative to Radiohead traffic and many blogs such as Phawker and iLounge discuss the nature of the release as I have. Message boards constantly provide a mountain of short personal accounts and reflections that can be valuable feedback to marketing or company and product reactions in general.

So in 2007, sell it yourself and track it yourself. It’s the best time to be an artist, the worst time to be a label.