Thanks to all of you for those very interesting and in-depth comments !

It is sad that I did not know that they were so many musicians on this board... none of whom I have records from :-( I'll make sure to check you guys out and support you.

One advantage of independently selling through internet is that you can keep an album alive for a much longer time. I like to take my friend David Garfield's example : he's been having his company website since 1995 and his selling the entire Creatchy catalogue on the net. As it is his record company and has a certain following, he can "afford" to stock his records. He still sells today records that have been recorded in 1989 - 1990. His Tribute To Jeff has sold over 50,000 copies worldwide since its first release in 1997.

I have the feeling that solo artists may be in a better position to go the same way as Garfield's as they are more in control of their business. They don't have to deal with other band members which might complicate things. Furthermore, it is much more difficult to keep a band alive in difficult times.

Lance mentioned studio costs. Now, at least in the jazz world, a lot of musicians do have their own studios (even in their flat like Saturday Night Live and NY studio giant drummer Shawn Pelton). This is definitively a way to cut costs, isn't it ? My buddy Ron Wikso does 99 % of his sessions from home. Why isn't it the case with melodic rock acts ?

It also seems to me that more and more musicians/bands are producing themselves. For the first few records at least that might be another way to cut costs.

We are always saying that the scene is small but Andrew had more than 22 mio hits on his site ! How many individuals does it represent ?

Another thing that surprised me, and Andrew seems to hint that independantly released CDs are not often sent to him, is that most of the reviews on the net concern signed acts. There is definitively an avenue to explore here for promotion purposes. Because, like others mentioned it, I am also part of those people who could not care less about a one page ad in a magazine. I read the reviews to keep me informed. The reviews as such are not necessarily that important even though they can prove helpful.

Again thanks for having made this thread so interesting and informative !