As I listen to Celia, David, Jeff and Scott, I am reminded that I am the outsider techie in this august blog group. A lot as has been written about the dynamics of the industry today as the digital juggernaut continues to demolish all things physical (CDs, DVDs, etc…) in the music industry.

The emergence of bands from the social networking scenes has created a phenomenon with no clear and sustainable revenue models for the bands or their labels even as digital distribution continues to grow. There is a huge difference between the discovery of an up and coming band by some social network and the building of a financially viable industry from essentially scratch. Consumer rights forced by European Union countries are eventually going to force cross platform integration.

Bands and musicians cannot solely rely on the proverbial “check in the mail” and have to greatly expand touring, licensing and merchandising to make meaningful money. The situation is even worse for the labels who operate largely in the physical world.

One thing I do not see in the discussion threads is the role of the fan as both catalyst for distribution and real revenue. The music industry is still mired in its old ways and it seems that it will continue to do so. As long as fans are not integrated in the distribution chain in a meaningful way, the demise of the industry as we know it will continue.

Comments, my fellow bloggers or readers?