By Ben OhmartThose who remember G-Fire will recall a bit more than just the coolest smooth jazz on the planet. The self-titled previous album gave an interesting twist to the marketing angle of music. These days, everyone from Mandy Moore to an ever-expanded ocean of indie bands can be on top if they can raise a thousand bucks and find the link to DiscMakers. Like self-publishing, this tends to beat quality control repeatedly on the head until the industry is dumbed down into submission.

By Carla Hall, CEOs at record labels probably aren't sleeping too well these days. Not because they're having second thoughts about rejecting your demo...again. Not because Clear Channel has a lock on radio playlists. Record label execs are now counting sheep due to a new wrinkle in their marketing plans: Consumer Choice.

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By Christopher KnabIn an effort to educate artists and bands that still think signing a record label contract is the be-all and end-all of their existence, this month's column is about the challenges of staying in the label's good graces once they have signed you. In past columns I have written about the huge risk so many aspiring artists are willing to take to get the almighty recording contract. This month I take you on a journey inside the mysterious world of becoming a priority release at a label, once the label has decided to release your recording.

By Mark Kirby, As the music industry goes through throes and upheavals, the result of mega-takeovers by corporations with the morals of the declining Roman Empire and the goals of Ghengis Khan, misters and sisters are doin' it for themselves. Musicians, either ignored or gored, have come to realize that they're better off running their own show; that they can get over if they come with a clever and fluid business plan and an unstoppable crew of artists and come strong.