Behind the Music: The Benefits of Free Downloading

The downloading of music has become a prevalent issue in today’s society. Ever since the establishment of Napster and the court case it ensued, the question of whether downloading music is ethically sound or not has been on the public mind. The case against downloading free music has some valid points such as the loss of income for musicians and the music industry as a whole. However, when looked at through a larger perspective, the downloading of music on such sites as Morpheus, Kazaa, and Limewire has some positive benefits. These benefits not only affect the general public, but they also affect the music industry. Allowing music to be downloaded freely will not only keep people from spending money on music they do not like, it will also increase overall album sales and create a wider public interest in certain types of music that are not as widely known. Speaking from the public view, downloading music is much more practical than purchasing it at a store. By simply downloading the songs people want, they forego having to buy th

e entire album of a band they may not even like. The rise of CD prices in the last five years has made it difficult for people to afford CDs they would have ordinarily been the first in line to buy (Walters). Sites like Napster are simply a natural response to corporations raising prices on the music with which people choose to express themselves. By using these outlets, the public is saving money. By downloading singles, an individual is allowed to make a choice about a band’s quality as a whole, and therefore is able to make a well-informed decision on whether or not they want to buy the album. In a recent survey, two-thirds of over 1,000 students said that they saw downloading music as a way to sample songs before opening their wallets. The same two-thirds said that after downloading the music, their search ended in the purchase of an album (Raymond 38). No one wants to waste their money, and if a consumer does not know whether or not they will like the entire album, it is unlikely that they will buy it. In contrast, if people are allowed to sample the music before buying it, it is more likely that they will buy the album if they enjoy it. If the fans appreciate the music, they will probably want to purchase the albums; but they might not ever be exposed to the music if there were no free downloading sites. Throu

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