I've been thinking a lot about the ethics of downloading music, and, frankly, I don't understand what the debate is about. Artists create so that their art can be shared with the world, so shouldn't musicians be grateful that I want to listen to their music?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Communist; I have nothing against people making money. The record companies saw a need and built a business to fulfill it. That's how Capitalism works, the Free Market in action. People wanted good music, and needed people to select, produce, and distribute it, and record companies provided this service at a fair cost.
However, with the advent and subsequent popularization of the internet, this service is no longer necessary. Musicians can promote themselves, and distribute their music online for free. Music fans have access to a virtually unlimited supply of new music everyday. Record companies are now providing, at a cost, what you can otherwise get for free. This is stupid. Almost as stupid as selling water, but people still pay $3 a bottle.
That's the thing. Record companies and musicians still make money. For whatever reason, be it out of convenience, or sheer charity, people continue to pay for music. It's a wonderful thing to be paid to do something you love. I myself do work that I would continue to do regardless of pay. And, although I've never made a dime off it, I continue to produce and create music. Music will not cease to exist just because selling records is no longer a viable business. Any musician who protests free distribution of their music doesn't deserve to make money.
The whole music industry monopoly stems from our society's worship of expertise. Whether it's singing on American Idol, dancing on So You Think You Can Dance, or even standing-and-looking-pretty on America's Next Top Model, people only want to see the best. They begin to believe that they shouldn't partake in something solely because they aren't an expert. I constantly hear people say, "Oh no, I can't sing." How ridiculous is that? That's like saying "Oh no, I can't laugh." The world is filled with beautiful things, and people should appreciate them for what they are, rather than trying to squeeze out every last penny.
Would you give up sex just because you're not an expert at it? "No thanks," she said, in response to my advances, "I'm not very good at sex. But I never miss an episode of So You Think You Can Fuck."
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2 comments:
To be fair saying something like "I can't sing." is more of a quick way of saying "I can't sing with the same ability as most people. I've tried a few times before but the noises that I made were unpleasant and no one seemed to enjoy them. Sometimes I sing to myself though...and in the shower."
Haha, if you replace singing with sex that's very funny: "I've tried a few times before but the noises that I made were unpleasant and no one seemed to enjoy them. Sometimes I do it to myself though...and in the shower."
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