Illegal Downloading and
File Sharing’s Positive
Impact on the Music
industry
Positive Impact of Downloading
Downloading music has changed the world. It has
impacted the music industry in more positive than
negative ways. Downloading gives musicians who are
talented and don’t need a record company’s production
and marketing a chance. It offers an entirely new way to
distribute music.
Jordan Velozo
3/26/2009
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At the very end of the 1990s, a revolution began. This revolution changed the
way people all over the world obtain and listen to music. As digital music began to
replace compact discs and cassette tapes, many people expected big problems for the
music industry. In some respects, those people were correct. Not only did digital music
lead to a drop in record sales as a result of purchasing single songs as opposed to
albums, but it also made copying and distributing this music remarkably simple. Despite
these consequences, in the time since this file-sharing first gained popularity, there has
been a major resurgence of successful independent musicians and record companies.
Some even argue, “the industry hasn’t looked this healthy for 20 years.”(Crow) Live
music has become a greater source of revenue which generally goes directly to the
artist rather than the business minded record companies. In fact, digital music and file-
sharing is often looked at by musicians as a means of advertisement instead of a loss of
profits. Although originally many were uncertain about the digital music and file-sharing
revolution, it can now be looked at as having a very positive impact on the art of music
and the musicians who are willing to work hard.
In 1999, the now well know program Napster emerged. Napster’s inventor,
Shawn Fanning, created this program as a way for people to share music with people
all over the world for free. For about two years anyone with a computer and an internet
connection was able to upload or download just about any song imaginable without
consequence. However, this time of simple file-sharing came to a sudden, but expected,
close. In 2001, Napster was taken down by the Recording Industry Association of
America for copyright infringement. However, after people got a small taste of free
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music, there was no going back. New programs, similar to Napster but harder to trace,
began popping up all over the internet. It soon became clear that bringing illegal file-
sharing to a complete halt would be nearly impossible.
In 2007, CD sales plummeted by 10.6 percent, leaving record companies with 12
billion dollars less than the previous year. Unfortunately, the record companies, instead
of trying to restructure find a way to get involved in the revolution, laid off about 1,800
employees in preparation for the deficit that would inevitably come. There are very few
Americans who can honestly say they have never downloaded music illegally. However,
they are not to blame for these lay-offs. The sheer volume of people who download
illegally makes it impossible to come to a practical solution to stop it completely. That is
what makes this a revolution that record companies should embrace rather than
suppress. People no longer consider it an actual theft because they are not dealing with
a concrete material product; “you can’t hold it in your hand”(Grossman). Some also use
the excuse that it isn’t stealing; “it is simply borrowing from friends [they] don’t know all
over the world.”(Grossman) If people don’t consider it stealing, the record companies,
which many already have resentment towards, are not going to make downloaders feel
guilt.
Many people feel that it “is payback time against venal record companies.” For
years people have been buying entire albums, albums that are grossly overpriced, for a
single song. Big record companies often produce poor music, use the massive amounts
of money at their disposal to put it on the radio and market it further, and sell the record
for a very high price. Even for those who don’t listen to the radio on their own time, it is
virtually impossible to avoid these overplayed poorly produced songs. Perhaps now all
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artists are on a similar level. Now that the record companies don’t have millions to
spend on just one artist, the artist will be judged for their true amount of talent. It is in
this way that the failure of the music “business” could lead to even better things for the
music industry.
Those artists who used to depend solely on their record sales to make money
now need to play live in order to produce enough money make up for the lack of record
sales. This separates those who work hard and have talent from those who the big
record companies overproduced and marketed. Also, instead of a select few artists that
the record companies pick monopolizing the market, everyone can have an equal
opportunity. This also gives smaller labels that have something to offer the room to
expand. From 2007 to 2008 live music revenues were up 8 percent. Also there are now
more music festivals than ever before.
Many artists have taken the opportunity to embrace or at least speak out about
downloading. In 2007, the band Radiohead released their album in Rainbows digitally,
allowing their fans to pay whatever they deem necessary. Oddly enough, sales were
unaffected. The album went right to number one. This strategy is also used by other
bands. This strategy is estimated to have boosted ticket sales by 400 percent. This is
substantial amount. Not to mention the amount of money a band gets from the
merchandise sold at a show which all ultimately goes back to the band instead of a
percentage going to a record company. This allows artists to be self sufficient. “If bands
can bypass record companies and distribute their music in new ways, it leaves the
[record companies] looking redundant.”
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The file-sharing also has allowed bands to market themselves without a record
company. If they choose this route a band or artist can build their own fan bases, your,
and make money that way. Artists like Damien Rice are now able to record their own
music and market themselves. Musicians really only need someone to invest in them so
that they can make their own way. This serves to eliminate record companies paying for
the fame and fortune of their artists. Today musicians such as Annie Lennox, Robbie
Williams, Billy Bragg, and Ed O’Brien have all spoken out to say that the public should
not be prosecuted for stealing music.