Technology Has Changed the Landscape (or is it Soundscape?)

I’m about to reveal a closely guarded secret:

Things have changed. Technology and the growth of global interconnectivity and social media have seriously altered the landscape regarding many things, but specifically music distribution. I have lived through a whirlwind of change in this regard, having experience the golden era of vinyl album fetishism, the controversy over cd’s and the very idea of digital audio, music file downloads, and then streaming. I’ve heard over and over—and not that I disagree—that this new landscape provides opportunities for musicians who would otherwise be hidden to the public, a chance to be heard. The record labels and radio used to control that. Not anymore.

Is it all good, or are we wading through a huge swamp here?

My two cents: I am very excited about today’s possibilities and I’m diving right in. I do wonder though how much time is being spent on all of the things that have little or nothing to do with the music itself. Might the art suffer?