Coolfer points out that the new music business still needs money to function, and references two articles about the unseen overhead of promoting a single in the age of MP3s and MySpace.
Cheap technology and internet may have eliminated some of the barriers to getting your music distributed to potential fans. Getting people to actually notice you is still a potentially expensive challenge. That’s why the music promo industry is still strong despite perceived drops in music revenues. It still takes money and connections to reach the critical mass of listeners needed to flip Yet Another MP3 into an indie hit.