It was because the major record companies, otherwise known now as the Big Five, became so intransigent over their belief in a formula that would always work for them that the Indie scene arose. It is also why the Big Five are sinking into the tar-pits, just like that comercial where the two mastadons are shooting the breeze and wondering what that black ooze that they are standing in is and does it seem like they are sinking?

Wouldn’t it be funny if they were actually sinking and couldn’t get out?

The Big Five’s formula for success was that, if it worked once, it will always work. In fact, why even bother to try out new groups? Why don’t we just create our own groups, in accordance with the stats from our demographic research and make them trendy by absolute force of hype?

Small wonder that there is an Indie Music scene. The Indie Music scene hasn’t quite worked out a new business model to replace the old one but the part that has been worked out relies heavily on the Internet and radio stations on the Internet, so if you like Indie Music, support your local Internet radio stations;

Just a small while ago, Sound Exchange decided that radio stations on the Internet should be liable for the same royalties that satellite radio pays. While this seems fair to the artists who get airplay, it was made retroactive so that the amounts for major players like Pandora were in the millions. Smaller broadcasters were threatened with extinction.

A bill called the Internet Radio Equality act was lobbied for but, in the end, fees were raised for broadcasters. This row is not over by any means. It seems that getting something new across is always a bit of a battle.