The New York Times has an article today on how many musicians, and especially independent labels, are bypassing the big-label system and instead using the internet to get their music out. Very timely, since this is exactly what I was blogging about last week. “But no factor is more significant than the Internet, which has shaken up industry sales patterns and, perhaps more important, upended the traditional hierarchy of outlets that can promote music. Buzz about an underground act can spread like a virus, allowing a band to capture national acclaim before it even has a recording contract, as was the case this year with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, an indie rock band.” “It’s no longer about a big behemoth beaming something at a mass audience. It’s about a mass of niche audiences picking and selecting what they want at any given time.” - Rhapsody’s Tim Quirk Welcome to the digital age.