There is little doubt that the
internet will in years to come have a serious impact upon the face of the music industry,
providing users with easy access to what is effectively an unlimited supply of free music. And while some continue to buy the official albums in addition to, or instead of, downloading the music in order to support the artists or to obtain the physical CD, many just see an opportunity to get a whole lot of something for nothing. This has cut severely into the profits of record companies and, despite the odd gesture of resistance such as Napster’s being raided prohibition style, so long as they maintain their current techniques the situation is only going to get worse for them. The
internet is just too big a place to police, with file-sharing such a widespread practice, they couldn’t stamp it out for the same reason that a circus elephant wearing a tutu couldn’t clean out a rat infestation, and like the example they’re destined to make asses of themselves any time they try.
So, music downloads are a fact, the only change we’re likely to see is them becoming more and more widespread. But this isn’t necessarily a change for the worse, seems like it’s about time something happened to shake the music
industry back up again, put the emphasis a little more on the “music” and a little less on the “industry”. When free music downloads cut the money out of the business there won’t be anything left for the businessmen to hang around for, they’ll all go off to get involved in investment banking and scoff at each other about how their cell phones are a few millimetres smaller than theirs, and the industry will belong to the music lovers again. Admittedly it won’t have been quite the glorious victory it might have been, them leaving unharmed and of their own accord after pillaging popular music into ruins for god knows how many years, but at least there’ll be chance to start rebuild at last. Bands will find it easier, and perhaps even more profitable, to sell their own music, they’d only have to post up mp3 downloads of their songs that become available to fans after making a small donation. Music would be cheaper, but the bands wouldn’t have to lose out since there’d be no middleman for them to pay. There might even, (dare I hope?) be a live music renaissance, since that can never be devalued by filesharing, it probably won’t be for a few years down the line even if it does happen, but I for one am prepared to wait.
And then of course you have the advantage to the public, a far wider range of music available without the risk of spending ¢6-15 on a CD you’ll end up hating. You can literally get hold of just about anything you can imagine, and there’s no end of music geeks aching to share their, often freakishly obscure, expertise. The WWW is quickly becoming the music store everyone wished they lived next door to, and nobody tries to stop you from shopping in your underwear.