Online Music Piracy has become a major issue around the world. It is so easy to go to certain websites and download songs. Previously, there have also been ways to borrow friends' music and download that as well. It doesn't take much effort and time to download songs, and no one really thinks twice about the consequences. There have been many artists and record companies that have complained that it's hurting the music industry, but outside the music industry, not many people give a second thought as to whether or not this actually affects the industry.
According to the RIAA's (Recording Industry Association of America) website, music theft can vary from downloading/uploading songs online to online companies making their business based on music theft. Music piracy has caused thousands of layoffs, prevented songwriters in finding work, and made it more difficult for upcoming artists to get signed to record labels.
When I was younger, I always used to purchase new CDs from my favorite artists. A CD would range anywhere from $12 - $18 each. I stopped purchasing them, because it was too expensive, and Napster was still free to use. It was so much easier to only take certain songs from an artist rather than buying the entire album. I never thought twice about the music industry 'losing' money. I mean, people to this day still record their favorite shows if they are not going to be able to watch it when it airs. Isn't downloading a song pretty similar? You can't listen to a song at a specific time, so you record it to listen to it later.
When people do not have to pay for music, they may be more inclined to listen to artists and genres that they normally do not listen to. This could help them try different music to see if they like it. This also helps unknown artists get their name out to the public.
Nowadays, there are many 'legal' sites that you are allowed to download music from, which includes iTunes, amazonMP3, and AOL Music. However, will there come a time in the future where it will cost someone each time they want to listen to the song they downloaded?
