[krapp]

> Napster was supposed to be a revolution, but all it did was put all of the indy artists out of business and create the environment we have now where music is virtually worthless and the only way to make a living as an artist is to sign with a big company and tour.

Maybe that's fair. Maybe digital music is virtually worthless, because software is virtually worthless. When music came pressed onto a plastic disc or magnetic tape, paying for it made sense. Why should anyone pay more than a few pennies, or anything at all, for arbitrary bits downloaded from the internet - the way most people consume music now?

>charge what you feel is right for the music and give them their fair share.

As coldtea mentions elsewhere, the cost of production is approaching zero, the cost of distribution is zero, and the market is flooded with far more mediocre products than anyone can consume in a lifetime. Charging what "you feel is right" will bankrupt you if the market disagrees with you as to the actual value of your product. You don't have to worry about fighting the music industry because its collapse is inevitable. Fortunately for indie artists, there are already alternatives to the old media models and it is easier to directly reach an audience and be directly compensated for your work.