The internet is absolutely vital. Bands can reach a worldwide audience from their living room. Ten years ago, playing the town 2 hours away was "reaching out to a wider audience" for an unsigned band. Now you have local musicians scoring tours - sometimes international tours - and even getting signed based on their independent internet promotion alone. No matter which angle you look at it from, business or entertainment, the internet is a part of the fabric of music now, and it can be an amazing resource.
There are 2 sides to every coin though, and no matter how important the digital world becomes, marketing alone will never outweigh integrity. A million random friends on your MySpace will never mean as much as that one kid who says your music changed his life. Marketing can be half the battle, but if you think of that before you think of your music, then in my eyes - no matter how many records you may sell - you've failed.
There are 2 sides to every coin though, and no matter how important the digital world becomes, marketing alone will never outweigh integrity. A million random friends on your MySpace will never mean as much as that one kid who says your music changed his life. Marketing can be half the battle, but if you think of that before you think of your music, then in my eyes - no matter how many records you may sell - you've failed.