Once upon a time the music industry functioned according to a very specific set of rules. There was a structure for success. There was a way things were done. It wasn’t easy, and the odds were generally stacked against you, but ultimately musicians knew the path they needed to take if they ever hoped to see their name in lights. Ink a deal, pay off a few radio stations, hit the road, see what happens.

Then, in 1999, Napster happened. Over the ensuing decade, album sales plummeted nearly 40 percent. Labels scrambled to protect their primary source of revenue. They cut budgets. They cut bands. They sued fans. They eliminated artist development. They introduced 360 deals. It was a new ball game.

The Internet changed the landscape. We all know that. But not necessarily in the ways most people think. At first blush, it seems that websites like MySpace and YouTube have made things easier for up-and-comers. They now have unfettered access to their fans, and vice versa. Fans are no longer simply customers, but also “friends” and “followers.” Developing a relationship with the people who listen to your music has never been so simple. And with iTunes and Spotify, bands no longer rely on retailers like Tower Records to get their music out to the public. Liberation at last!

Well, sort of, but not really. With the new game comes a new kind of hustle. Unlimited access has over-saturated the marketplace. There are upwards of eight million music profiles on MySpace alone, each clamoring to catch the attention of potential fans. Event invitations and band-spam clutter our social networking inboxes. For audiences, options are endless. When you have the whole world at your fingertips, how do you decide what’s worth exploring?

Turns out, audiences still want some guidance. Blogs help us weed out some of the bullshit — with popular music blogs like Pitchfork gaining major traction, labels are beginning to lobby hard for coverage. Meanwhile, if record sales are any indication, radio still instructs many people’s musical spending habits. It seems we’re not yet free from the clutches of a label-based music industry after all.

But labels themselves have become tightfisted. There was a time when a knack for songwriting could snag you a development deal with a label willing to invest some time and money into cultivating a long-term career. That’s not in the budget anymore. Now labels want to see that you’ve already done that work on your own. With so many bands out there and so much less money to spend, there’s not much incentive to invest in an unknown act.

In an interview with ArtistHouse Music, artist manager Owen Husney says that one of his most notable clients would never have broken in the current climate. “I could never have signed Prince today in this atmosphere. Labels want instantaneous hits. They don’t want to develop you. They don’t want to waste two or three albums. It’s too expensive. They want you to come intact like you’ve been on the road and you’re the Rolling Stones in their 15th year.”

So what to do? The prevailing mentality among so many young bands seems to be, “If only the world could hear my music, then everything would be different!” But now the whole world *can* hear your music. Fans and labels alike want more from you. Great songwriters come a dime a dozen down at the Nashville hit factory, and unlimited access has put the song on the Dollar Menu. Labels want to see that you have invested in your own development. You need a story, a narrative, a brand. That’s what you’re selling. Not just your music. You.

Once upon a time, that was a label’s responsibility. But with artist development a thing of the past, young bands would do well to start taking that work upon themselves.

“My thing for bands today is, do as much of your creative development early on” as you can, says Husney. That means getting serious about your songs, expanding your fan base, and — perhaps most important — cementing your artistic identity.

Define yourself and set yourself apart. What makes you compelling? Your sound, look and attitude should all help tell your story. Your songs are one tool — albeit a very  important one — in a toolbox built to help you sell yourself. Welcome to the DIY era of artist development. It’s not about the band. It’s about the brand.