The Basic Premise

The basic premise of having this forum is that the music industry is in a good bit of turmoil right now and thus is succeptable to new innovations. This discussion is based around trying to find what some of the best ways to go about fostering change in the music industry are, specifically with regards to internet technologies. In simpler terms: the music industry is fucked and we want to know what comes next.
To do so, I am assembling vetrans and innovators alike from various ends of the music industry--from self-promoting artists to producers to label executives. Together, we will address the wants and needs of each party involved and try to plot out a path towards a solution that will leave all parties happy and profitable.
Some of the big questions we seek to answer over the course of the discussion include: What do artists/labels/etc want and need to survive? What do listeners and fans want and need? Will the future of the industry function within a label system? Or independently? What are artists willing to pay for? What are listeners willing to pay for? Perhaps most importantly, what drives a consumer to spend money that can be filtered to a band--and from that, is selling music the most profitable model for artists? And what alternatives can exist?
Obviously, some of these questions have easier answers than others. The hope is by creating a discussion amongst a diverse, intelligent, interested, and informed group, we may stumble upon something that may become an element in the future of music, and something that technology can help facilitate. And at the very least, it should be a fun and interesting discussion for all those involved--a conversation that you don't get to have every day.