I missed this story when it was circulated last week, but it's too interesting to bypass. The Scottish band Looper hit paydirt with a song fragment that was used in a Xerox commercial, and has also placed some music in movies. The financial success of these licensing deals has motivated the band to produce and distribute consumer music free of charge. The band's "job" is to service its business clients, and consumer production has become and pleasurable hobby. This is a startling demonstration of disintermediation. The half-million British pounds the band has earned is no more than a large advance given to a big act by a major label, after which the pressure would be on to earn that money back to the label. But give that money directly to the band, and the pressure is entirely lifted.
