I've gone on a couple of times about how the recording industry on the whole needs to get used to the idea that embracing the internet as a free medium is a positive thing.
We're starting to see more and more real-world examples to back up the idea that the age-old top-down distribution model cannot simply be extended to the digital media. More to the point, adding DRM to songs makes content less useful, doesn't really stop piracy and just ends up pissing off the customers.
Last week we saw Weird Al mention that he realises this. Now a small-town radio station has announced its success at branching out onto the internet. It's not a huge setup but the idea that embracing the larger free market can draw a crowd to the stuff that generates revenue, and if nothing else it makes you look cool and modern.
One day, if more examples like this pop up, the industry will take note and realise that giving customers what they want is the quickest way to become successful… we hope.
