Steal This Album!

Should music be free? This sounds like a silly question, but apparently a lot of people think it should be, and even the ones who don't think so, are often unwilling to pay for it. Let's face it, we live in an age where everything can be downloaded within just a few clicks. If you're not the one doing the downloading, then chances are you know someone who is, and they're most likely willing to hook you up. So it's safe to say that everyone has in some way benefited from an illegal download. The temptation is just too great for some to resist. Stealing music has become so common that many don't even consider it theft, they see it as their right. "They make enough money, they don't need my 10 dollars", is a typical reason given to justify such actions. Others have turned it into a business for themselves, making a decent profit by downloading albums, printing out artwork and then selling these bootlegs at half the price of regular CDs. Plenty of other types of files are pirated but music seems to be the most widely abused.

So, what led to this overall disrespect for musicians and their craft? Maybe it's the fact that a lot of todays artists are not actually musicians. With all of the programs available for music production, someone with a moderate amount of talent can arrange a song, lay some half-hearted vocals, and score a hit from the comfort of their own bedroom; consequently, musicianship is devalued. Consumers don't respect the product, partly because the level of talent involved has declined significantly. It is no longer necessary to be "the best" or even above average in order to obtain a successful career in the music business. True musicians are pushed aside in favor of whatever tune makes the catchiest Ringtone. Somewhere along the line, the hit single became more important than the full album, so instead of getting a cohesive body of work, you're left with a collection of jingles that are aimed at generating some sort of crossover appeal, in other words...sellout. 

The term "sellout" used to have such negative connotations that to even be accused of such a thing could cripple an artists' career. It signified a lack of integrity, which was interpreted as a character deficiency. It meant you were unsteady, and could easily be bought; that you would do anything - even shame yourself - as long as a paycheck was involved. This term is rarely used anymore however, mainly because almost everyone is now guilty of it. Artists from every genre of music are being pushed into the race for commercial success. Record companies dictate that mass appeal is more important than artistic expression, so in turn, musicians begin to compromise, and when the audience knows an artist is not giving his all, or worse, is just trying to get over and make a quick buck, respect is lost. Trying to get somebody who doesn't respect you to give you their money is an insult to them. If I (the consumer) feel insulted by you (the artist) our relationship is over. Don't bother asking me to support you any longer, we're done. If you've purchased an album in the past few years then you have no doubt, felt insulted. You pay up to $15.00 for a CD containing 10-15 tracks, only 3 of which are any good and 2 of which just happen to be the radio singles. Why would anyone continue to subject themselves to this? 

I'm not advocating pirating music files, but I can certainly see the reasons behind it. It's obvious that the current structure of the music industry is collapsing and the old way of doing business is not working. The entire system needs to be revamped for the sake of the record labels since they are the ones who will eventually suffer the most. Musicians make most of their money from live shows which they now have the ability to book and manage themselves. The internet has allowed artists to become more self sufficient and as a result, independently wealthy. True artist will always make art, regardless of who's paying for it.