manufacturing & distribution

[RDR]

+1 for that last one.

Can i add a note of optimism though?

Releasing good music and having associations with good artists of whatever flavour is always a good thing, learning about the industry through trial and error is good fun. Keep at it and you'll get there in the end.

Also - yes there are a lot of labels out there now, but eventually these will whittle down into larger labels again. Twas ever thus.

The general principles of working in the music industry still hold true though.

Persistance
An eye for quality
The desire to work with others
Good contacts
Never say die attitude
A love for the game
And the willingness and capability to change.
Knowing when chance arrives.

On a personal level i really feel that although this seems like a dark time for techno, things will come around again, they always do.. and even in our darkest times there are opportunities for those willing to stay the course.

OH... and BE diverse... diversity is a great position to start from, knowing outside the box is far better than thinking outside it. Techno is not the be-all and end all, by its very nature it draws from all other styles of music and can be a breaking ground for new genres in one way or another as long as there are people out there wiht a keyboard and talent.