The Duality of Crowds

We start with alternate forms of distribution through the examples given by Nina Paley and Cory Doctorow. Paley allows for people to buy and give away their own works, relying on people to purchase their works out of respect and buy their merchandise or give "gifts" as support for her. Doctorow, like Radiohead, allows his readers to pay whatever and whenever they like, if at all. However, both heavily rely on their audience to determine whether they are to be successful based on if they truly value them and/or their work.
The free and open approach of Doctorow, in particular, provides valuable research to producers when it is used in that producer's industry. It allows the producer to see where their product is being spread and how to emphasize where it is doing well. There is no clear way for someone to go beyond "amateur" status when it comes to producing media and spreading it to a wider audience. Comic creators have also seemed to pick up this practice, giving away their comics for free to cast a wider net and capture potential customers later on.
Online retail and rental operations like Amazon and Netflix have taken from this approach by having a "long tail". They include expensive almost surefire successes in mainstream content and cheaper more niche and obscure title which they won't make their money back immediately or even soon. However, this variety has proven the soft version of the long tail argument successful thus far. Chris Anderson argues that media will shift from an emphasis on targeting a broad customer base to one focused on fragmented but diverse niche markets or "microcultures". While Anita Elberse argues that digital dynamics will cause audiences to converge instead on the premise that popular content represents quality content.
Video game producers seem to have bet on these hypothetical horses of divergence and convergence in media as well. Manifesto curating for video games by remaining open to new content and allowing the audience to evaluate and support material. Apple decided on remaining more closed to new content and filtering games through commercial criteria, but maintaining control over its content.
Similarly, some filmmakers have turned to the masses for decisions and money through crowdsourcing and crowdfunding for movie projects. Critics have found problems with the word "crowd" in these terms because it changes the image of the work from something produced independently even if the result is equally brilliant. There are also problems in restricting artistic vision when a project is crowdsourced or funded. However, these collaborative efforts have allowed independent filmmakers to release a product that could have otherwise been impossible. Also, it should be noted that historically these same independent filmmakers would have given up control to commercial distributors anyways.
Christian music artists is a good example of a creator both helped and hurt by the crowd supporting them. When their music is illegally downloaded or shared some Christians say those who are stealing the music are doing wrong. However, some say that the music should be given away for free from the start because they think it counts as proselytizing if it is sold. Yet, this crowd in its entirety is what is supporting the grassroots of an independent Christian artist.