Re: File Sharing Feature

[Adam Kessel <adam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This essay attacks a straw man. Advocates of peer-to-peer file sharing
much more frequently argue that file-sharing increases an artist's
overall visibility and potentially live concert attendance.  Only the
most successful of superstars make any money at all from album sales;
live shows are the bread and butter of nearly everyone else, and
increased exposure and popularity, via any medium, can only help live
show attendance.

The economics of being a recording artist has been described extensively
elsewhere (Courtney Love's essay comes to mind, but I could provide
others if need be).

--Adam Kessel

On Thu, Jul 10, 2003 at 01:57:13AM +0000, Alex Malik wrote:
> I've written an article on file sharing which might be of interest to some
> of you:
>
> The Internet And Other False Messiahs:
> "Supporters of content file sharing use a number of justifications and
> rationalisations to defend their activities. One of these justifications is
> that the trading of files on the internet promotes the sale of music by
> promoting the artists concerned ... However, while on the face of it, this
> seems like a logical argument, it is flawed and is based on a fundamental
> misunderstanding of the nature of popular music."
>
> http://www.themusic.com.au/im_m/guests.php
>
> (Contributed by Alex Malik)

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