I’m doing that Napster thing again. I’m torn, really, about the whole copyright infringement thing. I absolutely understand that the artists should be compensated for their work. I know that they work hard to create their music and it likely seems to some of them that people are trying to take advantage of technology by robbing the artists of their rightful dues. But for me, as a consumer, I see Napster’s technology as a way of experiencing music I might not otherwise have the means of hearing.
I feel, and this is utterly my opinion, that the ultimate goal should be getting your work out there. Getting people to hear you, enticing them to buy your stuff. For example, after listening to a couple of songs from Lifehouse, I went out to buy the CD. Having Napster did not stop me from buying a great CD. And I will continue to buy CDs because it takes too long to download songs from the internet. Even it got easier, I like having something in my hand. I like reading the CD notes. I like feeling as though I am contributing to the betterment of the artist. I just like shopping too. 🙂
And really, it isn’t as if someone hasn’t bought the music that’s out on Napster. Someone had to buy the CD. Someone had to download it to their computer. Someone had to share it. And someone had to want it. The only exception I personally downloaded is Ryan Gosling’s song “Put Me in the Car.” (Fantastic song!) As far as I know, that song does not appear on a CD in stores. But it is a treasure nonetheless. And I will buy it when it does come out. Then again, I am a big Ryan fan…
Copyright infringement *is* a very serious issue. I am certainly not saying it isn’t important. Just as I wouldn’t want my stories appear somewhere without permission, in that respect I can understand the viewpoint of the artist. But a lot of it comes down to money, the ultimate bottom line. These artists are losing money, which of course is an important factor. But is it more important than having your music heard? I’d like to think that if I was a musician, I’d want to be heard. The money comes if you’re good enough (and even if you’re not, if you listen to some of the stuff out there). There are always fans who will buy your CDs no matter what. There are fans who will encourage everyone they know to buy your CDs. Because really, are the artists losing that much money? I don’t know, but I bet not.
These are the times, technology is changing the face of everything in the world. It would do well for us to adapt and change along with it…