It is amazing to see what effect social media has had in the music industry. The way that consumers get their music now on such various mediums as Pandora, Spotify and Myspace as compared to what it was like throughout the 70's, 80's, 90's, and 2000 is so significant. Now the artists are really in touch with their fans, not only through the sharing of their music, but through discussion such as those they have through Twitter and other social media means. This really allows the artists to know what their fans are thinking. They express their likes and dislikes about everything from songs to touring to merchandise. This was never the case previously. A band spent months and sometime years writing and recording their albums, sometimes only to release a product that the fans just didn't like. Now the artists can sample their audience in so many ways to make it a much better experience for all involved.