First article in a series of two on the "Future of the Music Industry" on the BBC website:

Last week, two of the five major record labels, Sony and BMG, announced plans to merge. And itís likely that EMI and Warner will follow suit, leaving three big majors, each responsible for about 25 per cent of the music we ìconsumeî. The remaining quarter is produced by the independent sector. So how do the people in charge of indie labels see the future of their business, and how will it affect the music we listen to?

ìI think weíll mutate into a new type of company - a mixture of artist management, publisher, marketing consultant, agent and promoter,î reckons Steve Beckett of Warp Records. ìWeíll be a company representing artistsí ëcareersí, in whatever way they want to be represented.î