Barenaked Ladies Prove Labels Aren't Necessary

I'm not going to say that I'm a big Barenaked Ladies fan. But I am a big fan of the ways they've gone about distributing their music:

• They give away ProTools files via MySpace to let people make their own mixes
• They don't use major labels for marketing/distribution
• They own rights to their work
  
• They sell much more than CD's - digital downloads (different versions), concert tickets, packed USB drives, licensing to TV etc.
  

And it's going pretty well for them, bringing as much as $5 of revenue per disc sold, which has brought nearly $1M to the band. This seems like a much more natural way to sell music - creating something and letting others do what they want with it. Music moves beyond something people sit and listen to, becoming something they can interact with and make better for themselves (and others). Art is not just in the eye/hear of the beholder - it's in the hands too. And that's where it's the most valuable.