Are record labels pan-handling yet? They should be. It's over, people. Done. Finis. Kaput. Yesterday's gangster-ridden corporate record label structure is not sitting with nails in its coffin - it's six feet under with dandelions sprouting on top.

The underpinnings and consequences of today's download culture have been combed over and beaten to death with guitar strings, so I won't bore you there. However, in regards to the Internet, there are many direct and indirect reasons why the old Record Industry model now finds itself trying to ice-skate uphill.

Here are six reasons why there's a fork sticking out of the Recording Industry's rump roast: (There are many more reasons; these are just a few that I'll briefly deal with here.)

1. The Disappearance Of Traditional Record Stores
2. Artists Giving Away Their Albums
3. Major Artists Leaving Major Labels
4. Artists Using The Internet To Effectively Market
5. The Current Singles Culture Being Maximized By Online Stores
6. Expansion Of Revenue Streams For Artists

Let me explain...

For the last seven years record sales have been dissolving, with a constant 15% for the last four years. Musicland, the parent company of Sam Goody, filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and Sam Goody stores shrunk to under 200 nationwide now representing only a shadow of the powerhouse they once were. The once monumental Tower Records closed its doors this year. Blockbuster stopped selling records years ago. In Los Angeles, music stalwarts like Aaron's Records and Rhino Records both closed several years back. Brick and mortar record stores are falling off like last year's Pop Star.

Virgin Megastores have been able to weather the storm because Sir. Branson is a pioneer who realized long ago that he couldn't survive on music alone. What he offers in the line of multi-media marketing and beyond has always been innovative. Amoeba Records (in LA, Berkley and San Francisco) survives because it's just plain huge and has a mouth-watering vinyl and used section overseen by its impeccable buyers. There are other smaller shops here and there, but who cares?

Not even artists do anymore.

In unprecedented moves, more and more artists are starting to give away their albums. Prince has been at the forefront of online music marketing for the last decade as he carries the torch for the independent artist. Your highness offers wonderful perks for VIP members of his music club via the Internet and has released several digital only albums. This year Prince flipped record companies the royal bird by offering his ‘Planet Earth' CD for free in a British Sunday newspaper publication. And this month we found that Prince is not the only one.

(Record execs may want to look away from what I write next.)

On Oct. 2^nd Nine Inch Nails' frontman Trent Reznor declared freedom from all labels and a new beginning as an artist after being tied to labels for the past 18 years. It would appear that we all should have seen this coming. Earlier this year Mr. Reznor, while scoffing at the offensively high price of his stellar 2007 LP Year Zero in Australia and China, encouraged fans to download the album and share it with their friends. On Oct. 10^th Radiohead made their new back-to-basics beauty In Rainbows available for download by consumers who may choose to donate - or not (www.inrainbows.com ). On Oct. 16^th Madonna finalized her partnership with Live Nation that will have her walking away from longtime label Warner Bros. in the near future. This departure for her has dollar signs fluttering about from marketing potential rather than muses, but can you blame The Queen Of Pop? Also this month, The Charlatans' Tom Burgess, said that the band have decided to give their album (due out later this year) away for free after record company deals offered were unsatisfactory. I interviewed Alan McGee, British Rock Guru and manager of The Charlatans last month (read the LA2DAY exclusive interview), he stated that he dropped Internet label Poptones because he, "...couldn't justify owning a band's rights. Merchandising and performance, that's the way to make money."

Industry numbers would agree. ASCAP reported $785 Million in concert revenue for 2006 - a new record. The old Record Industry model that survives on record sales is over with the ever-expanding opportunities for artists in licensing across multi-platforms like cell phones, and the digital gaming industry. While interviewing KCRW's Grammy Urban Alternative Authority, Garth Trinidad earlier this year (read the LA2DAY interview ), he had this to say about the current state of industry affairs, "Major record labels have had their day. If you work hard... chances are you can be a success in your own right without the help of a major label... You have more opportunities today than you had 10-15 years ago to succeed on your own." That belief is spreading. Word has it that Oasis and Jamiroquai are both considering testing out the free album phenomena. Who knows where that will lead?

The Record Industry is trying to point its finger, but they've got no one to blame but themselves. Thanks to rip-off artist record execs filtering the sound waves and rationing out 2 to 3 decent songs alongside 10 to 12 tracks of garbage, discs for $15.99 and up, and paltry genre choices have turned the industry into a singles culture where file-sharing, Napster, and iTunes fill a void. If you're thinking of shedding tears for these white-collar bandits, just recall the days when they paid artists who gave them number one hits with Cadillacs and liquor. That's just the tip of the iceberg of foul play. Remember how TLC, the highest selling female Pop trio in history at the time went broke in the 90s? The Record Industry has the reputation for being a notoriously dirty business for a reason, but now "the jig is up".

This industry is getting its long overdue enema. Just watch where you step.

By Cazembe Abena