Illegal Downloads: Shaun Hautly

I don't record music for a living. However, I have recorded music. If people hear it, I'm happy. Many artists record music as an expression and are thrilled with it success if a lot of people listen to it. These artists put in a lot of time and talent, and then a bunch of people hear it without paying for it. More and more, publishers and certain artists are getting very upset that their music is being shared illegally because they make no money. However, I think they need to let it go.

In tough economic times, people aren't going to buy a lot of music if they have a means by which to get it for free. However, maybe by hearing it a bit for free, that will encourage them to buy the album, or go see a live show. Perhaps by stealing it, they'll play it for a friend who buys it. Yes, they're missing out on some serious revenue, but the rich artists don't need it, and the poor ones can use the exposure. It's bad, but it's not the end of the world.

While I use iTunes to download everything I listen to, I have no real problem with pirated music. However, I would never get a piece of pirated software. The difference to me is simple: Artists makes music as an expression. Programmers write code that they get assigned to write. There are exceptions to this rule of thumb, but that's what does it for me. Besides, don't a lot of rappers "sample" (steal) a song and just sing over it? How can they get mad when it gets stolen again?

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