Toys for making noise
While the U.S. recording industry continues to slide under pressure from illegal downloaders and file-sharers, the other side of the music world — businesses catering to those who create the music — has nearly doubled over the last decade to become a $7.5-billion industry.

Indies aim to grab share of online sales
Indie labels account for some 80% of new music releases in major markets but only about 30% of total revenues, according to industry data for 2005, partly because the majors spend more on marketing and have — until recently — maintained tight control over distribution channels.

Tags: