Download Away

My professor and I have been getting into debates about downloading music illegally lately and I think if I write down my thoughts it'll help me get my grasp around it a little more. I just downloaded a recently released post rock album from a band named Across the Waves. This group is one of the few post rock outlets from the country of Iran. Yes, there is post rock in Iran, and I believe that without the ability to download music from the internet I would never have gotten the opportunity to hear their music. Their sound made it around the world and into my ears, which is astonishing to think about. Never before has this been a possibility, and to add to that, this band may have never even formed without the use of the internet. I mean, post rock is a pretty small genre, and it's not very widely accepted in countries like Iran. They were inspired by the music they heard from other bands thousands of miles away. I'm sure you've heard people say that music isn't about the money and now that is being put into literal effect. Bands are going to have to focus their attention on the music if they want to attract a following, they'll need to bring people into their shows and gather real fans. I love it! It's forcing record companies to change everything they know about the business. Sharing music has opened up so many new doors to thought and inspiration. I have the opportunity to listen to more music then I could ask for, finding new bands every single day, constantly searching for new sounds and ideas. The genres are always reshaping and evolving and new ones seem to pop up all the time. There is no way I would ever have been able to pay the money or even have access to all the music I have in my collection without the use of sharing. So for that reason I should never get the opportunity to hear the music they've made? If you're in it for the music you should be happy that people get to hear your music in any situation, and you should feel honored if anybody else tries to mimic your sound or incorporate it in some other way. What happened to the humble musician?