It all started back in 199 with the formation of the music sharing website Napster. It allowed people to share their musical libraries with others. This did not cost anything to use, so people were able to get a hold of music they did not have from someone else free of charge. Now right wrong or indifferent, that is just what happened.
From an artists standpoint, and one who is going into the music industry myself, I can understand how scary this must have been both for the record labels that ultimately had the budget and the lawyers necessary to shut Napster down, and especially the artists themselves. Now on a usual record deal with a label, a band may see if they are lucky $1.00 from ever record that they sell. So each and every record sale is crucial if they want to be able to put food on the table. So for this reason, I do not personally hold any resentment to bands who took a stand against the sharing of music online.
That being said, let's fast forward to the present day. While Napster is no longer around (at least not in its original state) But there are countless other sites that offer the same service. Music downloads over the interweb for free. (BitTorrent being my personal favorite, but that's neither here nor there.)
One can make an argument both ways as to whether or not online music sharing is illegal or not. I personally have downloaded 1000's of songs in my day, so I cannot begin to sit here and try and say that it is completely illegal. Immoral at best. But I think in some small way it illustrates an important point. Music IS FREE whether you like it or not. Any album that has ever been produced and released IS available somewhere on the internet for free. Now as an artist, this certainly is a tough pill to swallow. But with every struggle comes an opportunity.
With this connected world, artists can be closer to their fans than they ever could before. Sure this may take away some of the mystique about artists, but it should not take away from their art if you ask me. Kanye West is a piece of shit. Everyone knows he is a piece of shit, even Obama. But Kanye is one of the best rappers out there, and people still go out and purchase his records to further fuel his already massive ego. But also with this connection it allows bands to distribute music in a whole new way. Freely to their fans. The problem with releasing music freely if you're trying to make a living doing so, is obviously that there is no money in releasing music freely. That is why in addition to giving all their music away, an artist can come up with cool limited edition releases that THEY would want to own if they were a fan.
Some have argued for the "pay as you want" scale that Radiohead employed for the release of their album In Rainbows. I have a problem with that. Besides the fact that it was a cool publicity stunt that worked once for one band. They are a huge international band that had already made so much money they did not give a shit how much people paid for it. This worked one time, for one band. And chances are any band you are in is not going to have the international success and fame that Radiohead has achieved. In addition to this, I think placing a value on music DEVALUES music. I know at first this sounds like a contradiction, but allow me to explain.
Say you're in a band, and that band has just released a record. Now assuming that you put as much heart and soul and passion into creating that album as one always should when creating music, you would not want a fan deciding "Well I am only going to pay $2.00 for this album because I only like 2 songs on it." This will quickly lead to a resentful relationship with ones own fan-base. This is your work! And your livelihood! Hearing someone say they are only going to pay what value they place on your work which may have involved reaching into the darkest parts of your soul in order to create something truly beautiful that you are truly proud of.
The truth of the matter is, the entire industry is in flux right now. No one knows what will happen next. Few things are certain though. The record industry as a whole failed to stay current with the technology and distribution methods that are out there, and instead of working hard and playing catch up, have decided just to sue anyone who distributes music "illegally."
But I think that there is hope for this much maligned industry to figure itself out again. I sure hope it does, both as a fervent listener, but also as someone who is entering into it. As Neil Peart has said, "Popular taste is cyclical, not to say fickle. And eventually the public always returns to musicianship and qualities of professionalism. Eventually."
J Swave
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