Getting signed to a mammoth record label isn't all it's cracked up to be. As an artist, you can surrender some of your artistic vision, you get pennies on the dollar from the album sale, not to mention you are at the mercy of their marketing department. Should they not find your new effort radio worthy, they may just shelve it to never be seen again, poor Fiona. An increasing number of musicians are charting their own course by doing home recordings and releasing their material via the Internet. Artists like Ani Difranco and Aimee Mann have found great success with this new music model. Will others follow their lead?

Source: CNN