If you have been following my Blog at all you might have found my Best Music Blog where I've listed examples of what I consider to be the best music over the last 40 years.
There is something about music that allows an escape into a fantasy world. When my favorite songs are played I sometimes fantasize that I am the lead singer, belting out an anthem or the Axeman mesmerizing the arena audiance with my fretwork. You really can get lost in it.
When Napster developed around 2000/2001 it was like a beautiful present for me, a dream come true. Most of the Music I have always loved was there for the taking. I had a dial-up connection at the time and the downloads seem to take forever, but worth the wait.
I've had Broadband now for a few years and my MP3 collection has grown to about 2500 songs. Of course they are on my iPod and backed up on three other hard drives and I have hard copies on CD's.
I consider them mine, I own them.
In the last few years the RIAA, representing the Music Industry, has aggresively tried to procecute file sharers and the Internet clients they use.
I use Limewire for downloading. It's the only "illegal" one I know of still operating.
Most nations have enacted laws that prohibit the sharing or distribution of copywrited music files. Thankfully I live in Canada and our enlightened society allows music uploading and downloading.
In return we are taxed on every blank DVD or CD that we purchase. Since that medium is so cheap now, it's really not a hardship. The revenue collected from the tax is supposed to go to artists and the companies that represent them.
But let's return to the moral or ethical argument of File Sharing, specifically of copywrited music.
First let me say that I can totally understand the music industry's viewpoint. They see that what is "theirs" is being stolen. They claim significant revenue loss because of that. I personally think that revenue loss is overstated but that's beside the point.
My view is that all Broadcasted Music should be free. That is that all music that we are able to listen to via media such as Radio or Television should be free to capture and burn for one's own personal use.
My contention is that when this music is Broadcasted it becomes Advertising to promote the artist. Would we ever be aware of 99% of the artists if they were not Broadcast? Hardly. And as advertising it becomes something they give to us whether we want it or not.
If we don't like the particular advertising (the song), we turn the volume down or switch channels or fast forward, just as we do when advertising comes on a TV channel.
So how does the artist aquire revenue? He earns it through live concerts. If the songs weren't on the radio or MTV an artist could barely scrap out a living through public appearance. The Broadcasting of his music advertises him as an artist and allows us to choose whether or not we would like to see his live performance.
There are thousands and thousands of gifted musicians out there trying to survive on their skills and creativity. Few are chosen. Who chooses? The recording companies choose. They choose who they wish to market based on the artists willingness to cooperate and whether his image is marketable.
If the artist really has created a new sound that the masses want to hear, that's bonus.
So really when the RIAA cries Foul, they are really crying for themselves, their "old boys network" and a few hand selected artists they have chosen to promote.
I feel little sympathy for them.
Recording copywrited music is nothing new. In the Casette Tape era, even before that with 8 Tracks, I would record music off the FM Radio station I was listening to. I had the Record Pause button set up so that, when a song I wanted to record played, I could hit that button as soon as possible. Sure I missed a few notes at the beginning and might have gotten a bit of DJ at the end, but most of the song was there.
No one made a stink about that. So what's the difference now? I bought very few CD's or LP's before the dawn of Napster because of the cost and because most of the songs were shit except the one or two you really liked.
The idea that the Record Industry is losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to illegal downloading is CRAP.
They are losing sales because the music has become lame. Why do you think there are so many Classic Rock stations and stations specializing in the music of the 60's, 70's and '80's ?
The music industry has no one to blame but themselves for being a bunch of greedy buggers whose complacency allows any creativity to fall by the wayside in favour of splashes of one hit wonders promoted by glitzy music videos that concentrate primarily on the film producers talents rather than that of the musicians.
Happy Downloading Everyone !
