Glenn Peoples

The arrival of the new digital music service Spotify in the U.S. has been heralded as a low-cost way to expose lots of listeners to new music. But what do the artists behind the music get out of it? First, we're joined by Billboard writer Glenn Peoples to take a look at what streaming services like Spotify actually put into artists’ pockets. Then, the smacking down can begin - Time Out New York editor Steve Smith and musician Ben Allison debate whether these services are truly worth it in the end for musicians.

As the traditional record industry spirals downward, some musicians are turning to fans for help. Two sites, sellaband.com and slicethepie.com, allow listeners to "invest" in unsigned bands, with the investors betting that the acts will eventually sell enough records to make them a profit. Meanwhile, some independent artists skip the ...