Two good reads about the current music business. Artists Find Backers as Labels Wane : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/technology/internet/22music.html?_r=2 Music and money: http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2009/08/23/On-Music
Related video:
(The sharks would be ticketmaster and livenations 360 deals in this case.)