Everyone knows it takes more than just talent to make it big in the music industry — it is also about the image the artist creates for him or herself through marketing strategies.

Throughout her twenty years of being in the spotlight, Madonna has proven to be the queen of selling her image to the public.

With consumer interest in buying music taking a nose dive, the music industry needs to look toward more prominent figures like Madonna to keep from crashing into the ground.

This year Madonna has new tricks up her sleeve. With the kiss that boggled audiences on MTV, and appearances in new commercials, Madonna is making well-planned marketing moves to reintroduce herself.

However, not only is she making a smart career move, she is also doing so in a way that benefits the whole music industry. People are getting tired of the same dull styles the music business is promoting.

We are ready for more variety on the radio. We need less booty-shaking in videos. We are tired of paying $15 for one song we like.

Perhaps we haven’t had enough shock value in music lately, and unfortunately nothing seems to be more eye-catching than sex.

It takes people like Madonna and yes, even Britney, to shake things up a bit.

One reason for Madonna’s staying power is that she has the ability to read her audience and change with the times.

Her music has spoken to differing audience tastes because she has multilayered talent.

In one period of her life she was a risk-taking sex figure, in the next she was connecting spiritually with herself and most recently she is more family-oriented.

She is definitely not the type of person whose next move can be predicted. In fact, she has a children’s book called “The English Roses” which will be released on Sept. 15.

Madonna is also making an appearance in advertising, showing up in Gap and Estee Lauder commercials. Like many artists, Madonna is using different tactics to get her music heard. The Gap is giving out Madonna CDs with two songs that aren’t for sale anywhere else.

Special tracks available for download only from an artist’s label seemed to be an easier way for artists to generate sales on their albums.

With attacks on music sharing, however, everyone seems to be steering clear of this type of promotion and are going back to hard copies. Madonna’s promo CD seems to be making everyone happy, though. The Gap gets people to buy their clothes, Madonna’s songs are heard and the consumer gets a new outfit and a free CD. Madonna is definitely the type of celebrity that can use “star power” to change things in the music business.

Her albums challenge our mindset, with each album having a different focus area. In the 1980s she was forcing women to be more comfortable with themselves, and in her most recent album, “American Life,” she makes us consider how Americans view themselves as a nation. Also, her videos have always been innovative and have stretched the boundaries of what television considers appropriate for our eyes.

So there is no question that Madonna has the power to revamp the business, but whether she will be able to make a difference is not clear.

At the moment, she seems to be mostly focused on promoting her album. She is primarily involved with promo deals because “American Life” didn’t do as well as she hoped it would.

Madonna can’t single-handedly change a whole industry that is stubbornly set in its ways, however.

Like Madonna, the music business needs to read its audience and change with the times.

Sharing music online was a great idea that boosted the availability of all types of songs. We no longer had to depend on the radio to deliver the latest sound — instead we found songs by searching based on our own interests.

Unfortunately, this method wasn’t profitable for everyone. Artists complained and are now restricting our access to music downloads.

Therefore, the artists and the music business need to give us a replacement.

Consumers need more innovative material to select from before we spend the amount of money we are currently expected to pay for an artist’s “intellectual property.”

Both new and old artists should take a cue from Madonna, who is setting the precedent in music-industry artist innovation and re-creation.