Why we need to ask what happens if music is free...

I'm not a DRM expert, but I think the general understanding is that DRM doesn't appear to be working. Even supposed fair DRM technologies are getting more restrictive.

So if DRM won't work, and if ISPs won't pay bandwidth-gateway taxes to the music industry and if P2P is here to stay will music in time become free? And will free mean no more music?

This is the question that needs to be asked, because the answer holds the key to the new economy for not only music but for most digital media. If fans are not going to pay $15 for a CD, and they are not going to pay 99 cents for a downloaded song how are artists going to make a living? How are music executives and their corporate shareholders going to be paid?

Yahoo has some ideas on what might be happening.