I previously posted at Burst Labs about Seth Godin and the music business, but this new video of him speaking at Columbia Records is an absolute Must Watch for anybody in the biz (see vid below, or @ google).

EDIT 2/27 - apparently the video is unavailable until further notice via Seth’s site.

EDIT 3/3 - full transcript posted at Seth’s blog as a PDF

Seth says “the music business is in trouble” because all of the factors that made the industry the Perfect Business are completely changed, all of the old rules don’t apply - but more people are listening to music than ever before.

If you are an independent artist looking to build your career - your brand - he offers so many great ideas here it boggles the mind.

One thing the majors do have on us independents is the size of their bankroll. By virtue of their sheer size, they can create a new paradigm for sharing, or a new way of ‘identifying with your tribe,’ to use some Godin-speak. However, it definitely takes large ships a lot longer to change course, and the majors are the epitome of large ships. Independent artists who can direct their (relative) tugboats around the treacherous ocean that is the music business in 2008 will certainly be rewarded handsomely, and their fans should be stoked, as well.