One of the biggest corporate dilemma's in our time will be, for 'them,' "how do we bypass, or eliminate, the threat of sharing music." Music is the expression of an individual or individuals in an audible medium. The way real bands survive is on live music, it is the true litmus test of real musicians. If a band has a great live show, the fans will keep coming, in bigger waves. If a band does not have a good live show, the people stay away, keep staying away, and stop buying the albums.

Maybe they reflect one lonely afternoon and decide they want to hear the one good song that band had 6 years ago. Should they be expected to go to Barnes and Nobles and spend $20 for that CD, for one song? Should they be able to go to a site and check out the song, or the other songs on the album before they buy it? If people like the band, their music, and want to support the band, they will. Even if everybody downlaoded the songs for free, there would still be an enormous group of people that would buy the album. If record companies want to make that more of a given, then they should make the album more worthwhile to buy, as in provide posters, autographs, giveaways, cool cases, and other inventive and creative marketing ideas. One plastic square can't be as creative as record execs get, is it?

The only people that really suffer from the proliferation of sharing music are the bad bands. Good bands with good music have everything to gain from these sites. Good bands that realize success is measured by gathering fans through word of mouth, rather than EXTRA and Spin. Touring bands are the ones that transcend generations, the ones that dwarf corporate bands and Boy Groups.

In closing, if the record companies want to separate their stuff from the free-enterprising nature of the internet, then they are going to be isolating themselves and turn into hermits. The future of music is going to be the same as the past, moving circularly like a vinyl record. Live music and word of mouth will sell records, and sell out shows. The boy bad era is over again, temporarily, wake up. Pretend you have an ounce of that thing you covet and protect so much, creativity.