| There are two truths that we have been faced within | | | | industry? The average musician has to pay tons of |
| in the present day of digitalization. The first is that the | | | | money just to get into a recording studio, and less than |
| love of music is a life-long pursuit. The second is that | | | | 5% of musicians tend to profit from their music |
| the love of free music is not. | | | | anyhow. So who's making all the money? |
| With the age of Napster, the ability to download music, | | | | The fact of the matter is that no matter how rich or |
| and to do this for free, was like a godsend from | | | | poor people are, they are going to continue making |
| heaven. Suddenly, we had all the music we could ever | | | | music, simply because they love to make music - the |
| want at the touch of a button. The problem however | | | | first truth. One only needs to look at such examples as |
| was that the music industry started losing money | | | | the blues which came out of impoverished New |
| (which no one really cares about), and then the bigger | | | | Orleans back in the 1940's following the Great |
| problem (which we all cared about), that downloading | | | | Depression, or the newly 'discovered' music in Cuba, |
| music for free became illegal. | | | | portrayed in the Buena Vista Social Club. Certainly |
| So Napster fell under, and the age of free music was | | | | those guys weren't expecting large royalties |
| lost forever. No big deal, although it was nice while it | | | | throughout their lives, nor could they have ever |
| lasted. Still, the impact this change has left upon music | | | | dreamed that they would actually get the chance to |
| and moreover upon the music industry, it seems, will | | | | play in Carnegie Hall. Many of them died before the |
| have longstanding consequences. Formerly spoiled by | | | | money even came even, but that didn't stop them |
| the high prices for CDs, the music industry is slowly | | | | from making music. |
| being forced to offer music at more competitive | | | | So as both technology and the times change, the |
| prices. Although you can't get free downloads | | | | music industry needs to change with it, and as far as |
| anymore, at least not legally, you can get music at a | | | | I'm concerned such a change would be for the better, |
| much cheaper price, and even make your own music | | | | even if it means that musicians of the future will be |
| with such new developments as free music software, | | | | limited to home recording studios. Most musicians |
| through the blessings of advertising. | | | | probably have some kind of computer driven studio |
| Most people dislike big business houses, at least, if they | | | | anyhow, and the fact that we're not hearing their |
| are not a part of it, and this definitely includes the music | | | | music isn't a fault of bad music, but of the obsessive |
| industry. So when we now hear the industry | | | | manner in which the music industry still wields control |
| complaining that it is losing money or in some instances | | | | over what we are able to listen to. So with the coming |
| that it may be forced to change its methods or shut | | | | of the new age, hopefully we hear more music, less |
| down, we tend to face such comments either with | | | | commercialized, and at prices that we're all happy with, |
| apathy or antipathy. Who really needs the music | | | | including the lone musician. |