Music is neck-deep into a new era in which convenience is paramount. Artists are creating music at increasingly lower costs in their own homes and distributing it over the Internet, while consumers are listening to that music anywhere, anytime on wireless portable devices.

Cell phones are no longer just cell phones, they are becoming all-everything portable entertainment and communication portals that will eventually not only allow consumers to listen to hundreds of music files but to share them with friends.

These aren’t just passive consumers looking for a thrill. A recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 57 percent of teens who use the Internet — about 12 million users between the ages of 12 and 17 — are also content creators. They’ve created a blog or Web page, posted original artwork or photographs, written stories or produced videos, or remixed online content, including music.

Via ZeroPaid