Music Piracy: What's Up With That?!

Music piracy is, whether you want to believe it or not, a sensation that's sweeping the nation. A vast amount of artists see piracy as a theft of their intellectual property, and therefore an irredeemable deed. Some however, embrace this new method of music distribution and how it may help spread their sound. Hayley Reardon, a junior at Marblehead High School and professional musician, has her own opinions on music piracy. I had a brief interview with Hayley on her opinions, of which she had many:
Me: What genre of music would you say you produce, and why?
Hayley: I’d classify my music as singer/songwriter - mainly because it gives me the most freedom. I feel like I can create anything I want to under that title.
Me: In your musical career, what is your largest source of income (ex. CD sales, merchandise)?
Hayley: Live gigs for sure. Partly due to ticket sales but also because it’s really the only setting I’ve found where people are still willing to purchase physical CDs.
Me: What methods do you use to promote your music?
Hayley: I use your typical social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr) to keep people updated on live shows and new music. I also collect email addresses and send out an email newsletter with all kinds of info.
Me: Do you use any services provided through the internet to distribute music?
Hayley: Yes! Definitely. More recently Soundcloud and Spotify have been some of the most important tools for me. People used to say “so can I find your music on iTunes?” and now all I ever hear people ask about is whether or not I’m on Spotify. But I also continue to use iTunes, Amazon, and Nimbit Music.
Me: Where do you stand on the balance between the importance of spreading your music, and making money off of it?
Hayley: I think giving away music can be a really good marketing tool to get your music heard by more people and I’ve done it myself many times. I also believe, however, that art is worth something. So in my mind it’s about creating a balance between giving up sales when you know it’s going to gain you some new fans, and charging for your art when you know there are people out there who love it enough to pay for it.
Me: How do you feel about fans of your music obtaining it without paying for it, such as pirating songs and burning CDs?
Hayley: Its always a bummer to have people getting your music for free when they could be paying for it, but I don’t take it personally. I’m thrilled to have people listening to my music regardless of how they get their hands on it. As I said, I have pretty much come to accept how integrated into our world music piracy has become. I’m always on the look out for new, creative ways to subsidize my music and make up for the free downloading that goes on. There are musicians out there handling the issue in a really creative, positive way and successfully facing the challenges of making a living off of music in a changing digital world. That’s my goal - to focus less on how to stop people from illegally downloading my music and more on new, creative ways to fund what I love to do.

Along with Hayley, many professional musicians have strong opinions on piracy. Pop star Lady Gaga doesn't mind fans pirating her music, saying "...[Y]ou know how much you can earn off touring, right? Big artists can make anywhere from $50 millon for one cycle of two years' touring. Giant artists make upwards of $100 million. Make music--then tour. It's just the way it is today," and dismissing the concerns of artist who claim to suffer due to piracy. Paul McCartney, however, had differing opinions on the matter. McCartney says "If you get on a bus you've got to pay," saying that fans have to pay for their "ticket" to get on the metaphorical bus of music. McCartney and fellow Beatle Ringo Starr also allowed for their music to be used in the Music Matters anti-piracy campaign