Piracy: Plague or the Wave of the Future

Though we as the consumer may have opinions that vary greatly, at the end of the day, it is the artist whose music it is, and so we must listen to their demands and take into account their opinions.  They are the creators of the music, the owners of the intellectual property, and so to truly create a fair system where both parties can reach an agreement, we must listen to their voice.  Many artists are vocal and passionate about the topic of musics role in today's world  on both sides of the issue.  Many artists support greater availability of music to the general populace where as others favor strict guidelines in response to piracy.  The two opposing camps are often diametrically opposed; even within musical groups band members may disagree on the topic of music piracy.


(From the Addy & Julia website with permission of the owners)

I interviewed Addy Sleeman, a local student musician and one half of the group Addy & Julia along with classmate Julia Taliesin.  The group is a singer/songwriter duo hailing from Marblehead who perform both covers and their own original work.  When I asked Addy about her opinions on music piracy and the increased availability of music on the internet, her beliefs were short and sweet: "I don't have much of an issue with it, as I think it is a way for people to share music.  As a lesser-known artist, it's important for someone like me to have exposure rather than money!"  Addy's opinions are a perfect characterization of the camp of musicians that supports music proliferation and piracy.  She supports increased awareness of her work over strict pricing, and is a firm supporter of the idea that it is more important for music to get exposure—to have fans listening to it—than for every single copy of a record to be paid for.  "Musicians should focus on the music they are producing and not the profit.  If we worry about income and make music solely for that purpose, the whole joy of the creation disappears" she quips, sounding mature beyond her young years grasping macro level concepts about the role of music in today's world, even weighing the balance between economics and passion.  Yet she still manages to be a normal youth and is in touch with the way music is consumed in a modern digital world.

Many musicians share Addy's belief, prioritizing the joy music brings over economic endeavors.   There are three core tenements supporting a belief in greater music availability.  The first is that all people deserve the right to music in their lives: "It's the democratization of music in a way.  And music is a gift.  That's what it should be, a gift" (Huffington Post).  The previous quote is from Latin pop
sensation Shakira, and is a perfect summation of the idea of the inalienable right to music—this idea that by providing music on the web, then people who may not have the money to access the music otherwise can still listen.  Norah Jones eloquently states this belief, saying: "I think it's great that young people who don't have a lot of money can listen to music and be exposed to new things." (Huffington Post).  The second argument is that through greater availability (in part caused by piracy), artists get greater exposure.  The argument goes that this is especially beneficial to up-and-coming artists where exposure is key.  Additionally, this exposure can lead to these fans supporting their favorite musicians in other ways: "[Pirates] might not buy an album, but they're spending their money buying concert tickets, a T-shirt, whatever" says Ed O'Brien. (Huffington Post). This is especially important in a world where record sales are no longer the major source of income for most musicians: "Make music—then tour.  It's just the way it is today." counsels Lady Gaga (Huffington Post).  The paradigm has shifted; the record industry is no longer the same, and artists like these are recognizing this.  The third core argument is that technology is constantly evolving and we cannot stop progress; the music industry is changing, and so instead of fighting the tide of progress artists must: "I have concluded that we can only look to what Internet and mobile users are doing or want to do, and then note how their actions drive technologists to provide platforms for them." says Dave Allen, a blogger and musician.


(Flickr Creative Commons)

Though there is great support for greater freedom and access to music, some artists still feel that piracy is stealing.  Lily Allen has started a campaign against music piracy and has urged a coalition of artists and government officials to come together to fight piracy.  She has been quoted describing piracy as a "disaster" and that it "it is making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge."

As is by now clear, this is a polarizing topic and there is no one "right" answer.  Each artist has their own interpretation, and as we move into the future opinions and arguments are sure to change.  Hopefully, through discourse and compromise, artists and law makers can reach new agreements to suit everyone, providing the joy of music to all those who will listen.