So I was wondering... there are many laws going on, many record companies (probably all) who hate Youtube/such sites and the illegal downloading of music.
Making their music free and accessible obviously cuts into their profits, and into the profits of the artist.
Many artists, including the likes of Jack Black, have campaigned against illegal downloading, and some artists simply do not allow their music on Youtube/Spotify, etc..
But am I the only one who thinks this is a good thing?
To start, if I couldn't even hear an artist before buying a CD, I probably wouldn't buy it.
I have about a 100 CD's, most of which were bought because I liked a few songs off of a certain album. Whether I acquired that song through illicit means, or whether I streamed it, just being able to get into made me go out and buy it.. because it was worth buying.
And even if you DON'T go out and buy CD's... perhaps, for example, you download a Wolfmother album, because you heard a song of their from an advert. Maybe you become a fan, and you end up going to a concert, or buying other merchandise, and just generally talking about the bands, hyping it, getting your friends involved... all because you had the ability to get their music. Isn't that a much more valuable asset than £10 and a bigger sales number?
Plus the fact that at this point, it is fruitless to fight it. It will be downloadable SOMEHOW. So why do the record companies not just let it happen?
As an added thing, although I'm not a signed band, I am in one, and I would MUCH rather have my stuff heard than me myself make more of a personal profit (as long as I break even - the costs to make the album).
I remember a case where I think the band OK GO had made a video/uploaded their music video to their own channel and the record company had taken it down in violation of artist's rights... even though the artist themselves had uploaded it.
Also as one last tidbit, I love Led Zeppelin, but they REALLY piss me off with how arsey they are with their music.
No album songs on their official Youtube, and what is worse is how they block all guitar tab on the internet, on sites like UltimateGuitar and such.
How many kids learning guitar pick it up and go "gee, I wanna learn some Led Zep?"... some many, and yet the band you to go out and spend many on the official tab book. So they stop you being able to learn their songs on the internet.
It's disgusting for a band THAT wealthy.