To Download or Not to Download

Image: 'Who Owns Music?' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64026579@N00/5527456607
Found on flickrcc.net

I believe music should be up for public consumption. You hear music on the radio for free all the time; why is it wrong to hear it in your headphones for the same price? Most radio stations play the same thing everyday, and the artist gets paid a flat rate for a station to play their music. It doesn't matter the popularity of the station. When I’m at work, I listen to the radio in the kitchen. The station that we listen to plays the same fifteen to twenty songs on repeat all day, I have heard “Good Time” by Carly Rae Jepson and Owl City more times than I would like to admit, without paying a cent.

If you aren't doing anything illegal, then I think there is nothing wrong with downloading music. Many artists even set up a website where you can download their music. You cannot legally download music with a copyright, and most youtube-to-mp3 websites will not convert music unless there is no copyright.

I am not a musician, and can therefore not speak to how it makes an artist feel. If I was an artist, I would want to show the world my music and I wouldn't need to make a profit off of it. I know most artists do not feel that way, so I am not going to pretend that is the norm. 

Music sharing is looked down upon by many people, but I feel the only time it is looked down upon is when it is done on a website. There are many ways people share music without doing it online, none of which is illegal. How many times have you burned a CD for a friend or borrowed a CD? How about when you email an mp3 to a friend to show them this awesome new song you found? What about when you just let a friend listen to music with you without making them pay for it? These are all ways we share music without thinking it is illegal. How would you feel if you got a letter saying, “You must pay this fine because you burned your friend a CD for their birthday”? How ridiculous would you think that is? 

I think music is a way for people to bond, whether that is overhearing what someone is listening to in study hall and talking to them about it, or trying to get one of your best friends to like the same band as you. Music is a way to communicate how you are feeling, and sharing music that does so with people shouldn't be a problem. YouTube is full of videos you can watch on repeat without paying for them. Now, with a growing number of people with smartphones, YouTube can be accessed on the go and used wherever there is service. Having access to YouTube on a phone is the same as converting that video into an mp3 to listening to it on the go. Are we saying that we should find a way to prevent YouTube videos from being played on phones?

All I’m saying is, in our modern society, where technology is unavoidable, there are many different ways to share music, and I don’t think it should be something we avoid. I think sharing music is something we can and should take advantage of.