Why are CDs so expensive? How does an artist get a song on the radio? Has record label consolidation affected artist development? Here are the answers to these and other frequently asked questions about the music industry.

A look at the five companies that dominate the recording industry and their relevant holdings, record labels, and some of their notable artists.

With all the flux in the current music scene, how will the future shake out? Here are the views of Jay Boberg, former president of MCA Records; David Codikow, Velvet Revolver's manager; Leonard J. Beer, editor of Hits Magazine, Danny Goldberg, chairman and CEO of Artemis Records; and Jeff Leeds, reporter for the Los Angeles Times, offer different scenarios of what's ahead for the music industry.

An examination of some of the technological milestones of recorded music -- and reaction from the music industry -- from Thomas Edison's first indentions on tin foil to the current digital revolution.