1. In 5 years, what do you think your label structure will be?

We expect to be a digital-only label if CD sales continue to slide. We are already limiting the number of CDs we press for new releases...they are all limited to 1,000 CDs. Digital sales are building, but fans need to understand that illegal downloading is wrong...it's a crime...and it's only hurting them in the long run.

2. Is it realistic to think that in the future music will, or can, be given away for free?

I have a lot of respect for RadioHead as musicians and songwriters. OK Computer is the best album ever recorded...well, a close second to our new release "Aurora" by Desoto Jones. But what they started really makes me angry...devaluing music. And many other big artists are following suit. This will eventually trickle down to the indies because fans will think they are entitled to get music for free. I think what they did has given validity to illegal downloading. Ironically, in the first week there were 200,000 "free" downloads of their new album, but an estimated 500,000 illegal downloads. Fans did not even want to pay £0.01 for it because of this insane mindset that music should be free. I think it's a definite possibility that major labels will give music away for free...only to their eventual detriment.

3. If music were to be given away for free, how would an up and coming band or a small label be able to finance recording, marketing of a release and feed the artist?

It's easy for multi-millionaire artists like RadioHead to give away their music, but not for true indie artists that are touring in vans, sleeping on stages and eating pizza every night. And it makes it impossible for true indie labels like Deep Elm to survive, develop and support their artists. Fans may be more apt to buy tickets for a tour and tee shirts when they arrive since they got the music for free, but remember that labels do not share in any tour revenue. So how are we supposed to generate money to keep our doors open? If free music becomes the trend, we will be forced to stop releasing new records and supporting independent artists....like so many other indies have already done.

4. Does file sharing affect your label?

Very much so. Six months after Napster came out, we saw our sales drop by 50%. I was shocked that people would steal music. Music is the cheapest form of permanent entertainment...yet it means the MOST to nearly everyone. A compact disc or legal download generally costs $9.99...and it's permanent...you have it forever. You can make as many duplicates as you like for your personal use and upload to your iPod / media player. $10 can literally change your life...I know it did for me. That's the price of two beers, one movie or one lunch...1/8 the cost of a new video game. You'll probably forget that 90 minute concert you paid $30 to $50 for in about a week, but you will never forget the CD which you go back to again and again. Why the fuck would anyone steal music?

5. When the large majority of people under 30 in Europe have been "tapping" music from the internet like water from a crane for free, is there any hope for making them pay for downloading music? How can this be done?

I think fans needs to be educated about what they are doing and what the end result will be. Remember for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When all the indie labels close down, it will be a sad day for the listening public. Fans will be stuck only with new records from major labels / major bands which are focused on sales and sales alone...formulaic music written specifically for radio play, NOT for your heart, mind and soul. Soon, all the cool new music will never see the light of day because there will be no one supporting them and giving them an opportunity to be heard. So you see, in the end illegal downloaders are cutting off their nose to spite their face.

6. Can changes be made in the way people consume music without governmental action towards file sharing sites?

It blows my mind that illegal sites are not shut down. If governmental authorities know these sites are being used 99% of the time to illegally share and download copyrighted music / movies / software / video games and NOT recipes from grandma, they should be abolished. With nearly all apects of life moving onto the web, we are gonna start seeing problems in many other areas as well. As compression technology increases, the problem with illegally downloading movies is gonna increase tenfold, which will likely lead to far worse problems for music. How will even the major record labels survive when they can no longer be supported monetarily by their profitable sister film divisions that are currently supporting their music businesses? It's all a viscous cycle. If this continunes, it's the end of music as we know it.

7. Any other comments?

To those naysayers that think filesharing helps promote and encourage record sales: why have total album sales (including all legal downloads) plummeted industry wide? With tens of millions of illegal downloads daily, shouldn't sales be blasting through the fucking roof like they were BEFORE filesharing started? Listen...we are well aware that not everyone steals music. And to those people, we have respect. As for those of you that do: think a little bit about what you are doing and the implications. Think about that record you love so dearly...your desert island disc...the record that makes you feel better when you are down...the songs that make you smile and the songs that make you cry. Now imagine that they never existed. Shame on you.

Click Here to see what other indie labels including Lookout, Revelation and Ninja Tunes had to say about illegal filesharing. You can also post your comments.