Bands can do more for themselves now than at any time before. Going forward, bands will create their own music, organize their own concerts and promote their own music and merchandise

This is an argument I often find in these type of anti-industry rants. Of course, there has been a colossal amount of bad decisions made by the industry as a whole, and I'd like to see the end of the exploitative, meaningless behemoth that are the majors.

There will however, remain a place for an industry around the artists - how many bands have the skills to organise tours, produce live shows, promote and market their music properly? And why should they. The point is that they are left to concentrate on their art.