Much has been written already about UMGs lawsuit against myspace.com and I for one am not surprised in the least but in the same breath I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theorists who suggest it is part of a diabolical plot to try and control the internet.

I don't think it's some grand master plan cooked up by a few guys with an evil laugh, lovingly stroking their cats in an ivory tower somewhere.

I think it's more diabolical than that.

When a fire breaks out in a cinema theatre you don't need consensus from everyone present that there's a fire, everyone will just run to the fire exits on their own steam. No questions asked.

The music industry has lost all it's dreamers and mavericks. They have been replaced by bean counters. The industry at the top end simply doesn't have the imagination or vision to approach the web in any other way than straight lines.

People don't talk about record signings, madcap ideas or exciting new artists anymore. It's all about technology, share deals, takeovers and mergers.

With respect to the female execs, bean counters don't have balls. They have 2 very small beans in between their legs and the commercial sensibilities of controlling internet 'channels' is more accesible to them than gambling on talent.

Unfortunately, it's a proven model.

For proof, you only have to look at the live festival stage space or in the good old days, when the majors could control (or leverage, if you prefer that term) music on TV/radio, when there was only a few 'channels' everyone watched or listened to.

It's like the recent payola "scandal". Just because everyone who could afford to do it was doing it, doesn't mean it was a diabolical plot, it just made solid commercial sense.

My worry is that UMG have shouted 'fire' and everyone else will just rush to the fire exits without stopping to check for smoke.

I understand that music as an industry needs to make money to survive, but, it's also an artform and as such, it desperately needs mavericks, dreamers, nutters, people with vision who will throw a few million quid at a grandiose or outlandish artist or idea.....and see what happens....people willing to take a gamble.

The problem isn't just at the top end of the industry. Every independent band I come across has a fucking business plan!

They have scoured DIY sites soaking up information (some of it good, some of it not so good) and developed a very rigid number crunching mindset that Gordon Gecco would have been proud of.

So, even artists are part bean counter, part musician now.

What we're left with are spoilt, middle class kids with posh accents, like Pete Doherty, who can quote a bit of Byron and can afford to be a drug addict - his addiction, to me, is bordering on a lifestyle choice, rather than an 'escape'.

The majors are undoubtedly moving towards controlling web 'channels' online, because it makes good business sense.

What I want to know is, where have all the dreamers gone?

We're still here Mr Smart and fortunately some of us have made enough money in the past to be able to have fun in the present and future.

The Tipsheet never made any money and any it did it lost, but it was great fun and helped bring loads of talent to everyone's attention.

My future projects won't make me a millionaire but by God they will change the face of music for the better.

Well, I spotted your www.wedontdoalbums.com site recently and I thought it was an inspired idea.

I really do believe 2007 will be "the year of the single" and wedontdoalbums.com has the potential to be an example of a new model 'label', where it's all about smash hit singles - and lots of em. Not just UK hits but euro-wide smashes.

Independent labels will be in a position to do 'single deals' with wedontdoalbums type labels and retain all their Ps and Cs with the album masters. Where the singles label bridges those fuzzy lines between label and shop, becoming a source of hits for consumers. A channel.

What I like about the wedontdoalbums idea is it's simplicity and fundamental, naked, reliance on talent. Everything falls into place after that.

It's not about a small label thinking they can act like a major without a budget - DIYing everything a major has the wedge to pay for. It's about becoming a major player based on an ear for hits and the 'stuff' I mentioned before on here.

There isn't one DIY website who can explain how to spot a HIT song or how to work the 'stuff'.

I think you're underestimating the earning power of something like wedontdoalbums.com - all it takes is one or two hits and they will come.

I think there are more off the wall and eccentric , maverick ideas going on here than are apparent as yet Mr Smart.

I think there are more off the wall and eccentric , maverick ideas going on here than are apparent as yet Mr Smart

I don't doubt that Martin.

But new ideas don't have to be eccentric or off-the-wall to be succesfull.

The most succesfull online hits were the complete the opposite of off-the-wall or eccentric. Google being one. Youtube being the other. And ebay inbetween.

In fact, you could say that others who have tried to do the same failed because they tried to be too clever. Over complicating things.

While it takes a rare talent to spot a hit, bring it into the studio and get the right people to work with it, nothing is simpler than hit songs.

Mister Smart you are on the money again with another top quality post.

As for where the dreamers are ? They are all in rehab getting therapy for chasing the major label deal or for trying to compete with the majors and suffering stress, heart attacks and other dire ailments.

Some are just recovering from the lunatics asylum and are discovering the love for music again.

Seriously it is going to be an interesting time and i am very excited about this whole prospect.
It is time to invest in hit songs (a very difficult but enjoyable process). I think the right song, performed by the right act and promoted the right way, will do independents a lot of good and the next independent revolution will hit big time. Just dont cave in to the cheque book waving major when they come for you.

Bin the business plan, bin the how to books. Go to www.songlink.com and network with a lot of writers. We have found some great songs from that site.

Word of mouth marketing is king. You only need 2 people to start a civilisation.

Strange to say, I'm having the same conversation with a number of Horror Authors... it's about breakingout of the 'gore porn' idea that the big publishers have if your name isn't King-Laymon-Koontz... and if you're black you're squirreled away in 'Black Interest' or 'Black Fiction'...

I lot of the problem is that the industry is throttled by Accountants and Marketeers... Accountants look for continuous growth, but anyone with a passim acquaintance with history will know that isn't realistic ("... and when Alexander saw the breadth of his empire, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.") And marketing depts that use one of four analysis packages that spits out what a demographic wants... unfortunately, the programs all use the same maths... so there's no creativity or even significant product diversity (which, incidentally, is why all the political parties sound the same... their marketers inform policy and the marketers use... guess what.. one of four packages for demographic crunching...)

Frankly MySpace and Youtube are just web sites and that the issue is one that has been around for ages - use of copyright material without permission.

None of us should want unauthorized use of our repertoire because that de-values those recordings in that people are hearing them for free and if this is your business you need to try and earn some money from these works not just for yourself but for the writers, performers, producers, publishers as well as the label.

There are many who have a vested interest within the copyright - so it should be looked after with these people in mind.

But onto the issue that really bugs me .. ZUNE

What I don't like is how UMG are getting $1 per Zune device sold -
that sets a bad precedent and what about us other labels - aren't we then entitled to a share of the spoils.

Trouble is, UMG didn't want to sign up to Zune under a standard agreement and MS really needed that repertoire to help sell the Zune concept - so UMG
had leverage to push the deal well in it's favor.

So what of the other big hitters EMI-Virgin, Warner, Sony-BMG do they also get a cut of the action from hardware sales or is it only UMG ??

You don't have to worry about the other majors.

The majors use in their deals "most favoured nation clauses", so they all get automatic the same contract terms.

And they don't have to act like an (illegal) cartel / monopoly ...