Devaluation versus Validation – The music industry.

Being a person who records music and wants the world to hear it – I agree with the idea of file sharing. I’m sure I speak on millions of peoples behalves when I say I have downloaded a song before. It’s not a tabooed action and it sure isn’t first degree murder. The article talks about the idea of what a criminal is. What makes the stereotypical criminal? In a nutshell they’re bald, have tattoos all over their body, has killed someone or thought of it and is most likely out to hurt you if you look at them wrong. Now if we look at the average Joe, he works 9-5 through the week, might be studying and is most likely you reading this. I’ll put the bet out there that the person reading this post has once downloaded a song, movie or even programs off the internet before. So… apparently that makes you a criminal? Wrong! I believe that the idea of file sharing is a network where people who are willing to share their content with the world, put it on a silver platter and watch as thousands happily download and are most likely happy as a result. Again, as a musician, artist or whatever – I make songs and I want people to hear them. If I put it on Facebook, law constitutes that my song then belongs to Facebook. If I share my song with the world, even though proceeds don’t come to me, the recognition of the song still holds. The international Federation of Pornographic Industries says “record companies invest as much as 20 per cent of their turnover in developing artists — investment which is funded by legitimate sales of recordings” (IFPI, 2009) In relation to that – no… I’m not involved in the porn industry. But if you look at it in the sense of the music industry, people don’t need funds to have their songs recorded. I understand the complaint of official producing industries having their files shared and losing funds. But that’s just how it is. Reference List: Martin, B, Moore, C and Salter, C. 2010, ‘Sharing music files: tactics of a challenge to the industry’, First Monday, vol. 15, no. 12, [available: HYPERLINK "http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2986/2680" International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), 2009. “The Pirate Bay trial — IFPI Chairman John Kennedy outlines the damage to the music industry” (25 February),