Christian musicians welcome the way digital formats have broadened the audience for their message, but worry that the changes could affect their ability to keep going.

"Think of it like this," said Jason Crabb. "If you were the owner of Wal-Mart and people walked in and grabbed whatever they wanted off the shelf and walked out without paying for it, how long could you stay in business?"

Crabb was one of several 2010 Dove Award winners who spoke with Christian Retailing about the challenges facing Christian music and what Christian retailers can do to support and help make the most of the category.

The winner of Doves for Country Recorded Song of the Year ("Somebody Like Me") and Special Event Album (Glory Revealed II) said that he would like to see "a group of people from artists, record companies and retailers, from every genre of Christian music, to come together and brainstorm ideas on how we could all better one another."

For The Isaacs (Bluegrass Album of the Year, Naturally), the greatest challenge is "the lack of radio airtime. When fans don't get to hear their music over the airwaves, it's hard for them to know what they like so they can go out and buy it or download it."

Randy Phillips of Phillips, Craig & Dean (Inspirational Album of the Year, Fearless) said: "The future of full-scale concerts and a hard ticket seems to be morphing into something else. The music groups that will survive and thrive are the ones that can reinvent themselves and do music in a different format and paradigm.

"But the gospel of Christ in music will prevail. God always finds a way to get His message to the people He loves."

Read more in the May issue of Christian Retailing.

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