RECORD COMPANY versus INTERNET

This is a non popular topic for the people playing the puppet (group)strings, deciding if you are good or not.
So I was thinking: IS IT POSSIBLE to place songs on the internet, there are enough interesting devices on the market, like ZOOM H4 for the acoustic, and BOSS, with 4 to 32 tracks + all the virtual tracks, to compose and burn your songs, it will take time, a lot of time, together with "critics" from friends, other musicians, with video (just you "can" perform in different places is enough: youtube and just the songs with or without your picture on myspace ). Of course this is not done in 1 day, maybe if you do it the simple way in 14 days, you have your devices with a lot of drum and bass loops, software to write down your music exists, software to correct for instance, your voice (if you are not pleased with your voice, and this is so tricky, because if you sing and listen, you will just hear the resonance of the music in your head, sinusses.., completly different than to hear you on a recorder).
So you try to perform as good as you can, maybe better at home and not in the studio, and STAYING MODEST when putting your songs on the web.
2 POSSIBILITIES
- your songs play only 1 minute to show your skill, and to give the listener the opportunity to hear just enough if he/she likes you or not, and can give critics.
- your songs can be downloaded for a fix price, like 50 cents for a song.

- Is there a chordian somewhere who agrees or disagrees with this theory, and if so WHY.
- Are there examples of musicians who are getting very well knowed, and getting contracts for gigs working this (internet)way.
I think this is a very nice topic, especially because we all like music, and we like to communicate with music. Every musician hopes that other people like their songs, how personal they might be.
IMAGINE 1 VERY IMPORTANT THING: 5 YEARS AGO, WE HAD TO SEND TO EVERY NAME FROM LITTLE TO BIG, FROM SMALL LABELS TO BIG LABELS A COPY OF OUR MUSIC, NOW WE HAVE THIS GREAT MIRACULOUS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WHAT WE CAN.
Not only great players, but everyone has the opportunity.
Some of us do have some songs on "myspace", and it's worth listening to these songs. They still come straight from the heart, and not from a sterile, completely controlled studio, where you have to shut up at the end.