In the digital world there is a vast mind boggling amount of files available. Many of which are music files. In the dark depths of the internet there are places to download any file you choose. Now many of these files, also known as torrents, are copies of a copy's copy.

Now what is a music file, in the simplest terms it is a stored log of 1's and 0's, known as binary. When music is recorded and compressed into these files it is not a physical thing, it is intangible, and cannot be represented in any physical form. Music as well in its simplest form is just sound waves that penetrate our ears and is sent to our brains, which translates electron pulses into sound.

Music has an inherent value, and when a person who creates music that is "new" they own the intellectual rights to that song. So when they sell a CD, Vinyl, or Tickets to a show, they are selling something that is tangible, there is some sort of physical thing being bought. When an Artist sells a CD or Vinyl they are selling a physical disc which has had their music inscribed onto it, and when they sell a Ticket they are selling a position at a venue at which they are playing. But when it comes to digital files, everything is profit. They have very little cost of production, where as when producing a CD, material goods must be purchased before money is made.

Compared to CD’s a digital MP3 files sound quality is inferior. The amount of data stored on a CD for your average 3 minute song is anywhere from 30-40 megabytes, whereas an MP3 is super, super compressed to around 4-8 megabytes. This causes a drastic reduction in sound quality. So why pay the same amount you would pay for a CD for a MP3 album? That’s why I say piracy is not as bad as many people think. To make an analogy, it would be the same as going into a Toyota dealership, and stealing the hand book for a Prius.