Have the television and film industries been paying attention to the painful transition that the music industry has been going through over the past eight years? If they have been paying attention, they will realize a couple things:

1 – You can’t fight technology – There is no putting the "genie back in the bottle." No matter how hard you work to control something, there are legions of people out there who are working even harder (and for free and often with a vendetta) to undermine your control. The harder you squeeze, the harder they fight. And your hand just is not big enough to squish them all. (This applies not only to the music industry, but to dictatorial regimes as well.)

2 – You have to adapt – As much as we might like to go back to quieter, gentler times – that’s not going to happen. So if you can’t fight (see #1) then you have to adapt. Just now – after eight long, bloody years – is the music industry machine starting to adapt.

3 – Find what your customers value and provide it – It took years for the industry and many musicians to realize that there is a way to create value besides selling CDs. Live touring, merchandise, special access, works in progress, collaborations, and as-of-yet-to-be-invented models will drive value and as a result, money.  If you want to be an artist and be absolutely true to yourself, then by all means do that. But if you want to be an artist and make money from your art, then you have to create something that people value and are willing to pay for.
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