Fueled by the Internet and digital technology, music is starting to undergo changes that could eventually dwarf the revolution of rock and roll - a radical shift in the way music is created, distributed, and listened to.
The US$40 billion music industry is grappling with a rapidly evolving distribution network that lets people download high-quality recordings for listing or creating new music. Meanwhile, as pre-millennial tension mounts, artists are finding new tools for making music, expanding its experimental edge into new terrain as music once considered avant garde - electronica and immersive soundtracks - is nudged toward a bigger audience.
Many of the '90s new genres are incorporating these innovations into their very foundations, laying the ground for fundamental changes in both music and its audience. In a three-part special report, Wired News looks at the forces remaking the music industry and the often-conflicting ways that independent artists and big studios are reacting to them.
Tuesday: Sounds of Revolution
Fire Your Agent and Jack Into the Net
Wednesday: Nurturing New Genres
Electronic Music, Meet the Recording Industry
Sonic Worlds for Walkman's Children
Death Metal: Born-Again Heavy Metal
Today: Innovations and Experimentations
Letting New Noises Out of the Bag
