MusicRadar

5. MySpace?

You might have jumped the MySpace ship at some point in 2007 but, according to Billboard: "MySpace Music, the social network's dedicated music joint venture with the major labels, had 92% growth in unique users year on year, and 30% growth in the past month."

Without getting bogged down in percentages, MySpace's diversification into multiple revenue streams - selling gig tickets and merchandise, integrating iTunes and Amazon download links and pulling in big-spending major brands to sponsor the popular Secret Shows - means we probably shouldn't write off the original kings of horrible DIY profile pages just yet. Not again, anyway.

6. Ignoring the middle man, self-marketing and chasing the pay cheque

Pharrell Williams © Walter Bieri/epa/Corbis

All-round modern music guru and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams was one of this year's big artist draws. While not entirely dissing the approaches of traditional records - "the majors still have a purse that the average kid doesn't have" - the NERD/Neptunes mainman was pretty direct in his advice for young bands starting out today.

"I would probably build a site, a home for my music, a destination where people could come and see me and what I do and what I'm thinking about. And then I'd probably assemble a team of kids that would go and bug the hell out of advertising agencies and marketing companies to use my music."

It's certainly food for thought.

Around the web: