About copyright… I think that the traditional model is well past its prime and needs to change radically or disappear altogether. Back when the internet was fresh and new, many people, myself included, enjoyed exploring all its nooks and crannies, finding something funny, entertaining, unusual or familiar. Back when file-sharing was the new thing, I took my part in it, sometimes looking for the familiar songs of old but also coming across incredible music which I would’ve never been exposed to via the traditional media gatekeepers. As a direct result, I’ve spent upwards of $10,000 on my music collection — that’s money which would’ve gone someplace else had it not been for the internet exposure.

Jonathan Coulton has the right frame of mind, not trying to fight against the inevitable but embracing it. Exposure is the most important ingredient to art, unless you plan on being a recluse. Build a loyal following while finding new methods for generating profit. The future is here and there’s no turning back the clock. As you’ve mentioned before, Brad, an album should cost about $5 tops, not $15-20 (unacceptable!), and I’d add that it should come with extra content such as a DVD including a ‘making of’ featurette, MVs, the whole album pre-converted to mp3 format in case anyone wants to transfer it to their computer, et al. People always love it when you give them extra bang for the buck.