| We are much more reliant today than ever | | | | lives for themselves. Like any other professional, |
| before on technology and the many contributions | | | | musicians can't be expected to do their work for |
| it makes to our lives every second. Perhaps most | | | | free. While the amount some receive is certainly |
| notable is the many options technology has given | | | | debatable, what is not debatable is that they |
| to the Internet and the world of entertainment, | | | | should receive something. The latest drive to |
| making many artistic projects and productions, | | | | enforce Copyright Law by the music industry is |
| from digital music albums to e-books to short and | | | | causing a stir among young people. New |
| long films and television programs available to a | | | | anti-piracy software is now being put on CD's to |
| larger audience of people.Steadily children that | | | | cut down on illegal CD copying. The software |
| grew up with the Internet and don't remember a | | | | prevents listeners from burning the CD more than |
| time without it are reaching adulthood, and | | | | five times.Teens especially are noting that this will |
| attitudes about both the monetary value of | | | | not stop others from discovering new ways to |
| artists' works available online and the cultural value | | | | get music. Many adults agree that someone is |
| of these works are changing. This revolution | | | | bound to come up with a way around the |
| began with the introduction of CD's, which | | | | software, as technology always seems to find a |
| became easy to copy and distribute to | | | | way to surmount obstacles that prevent free |
| friends.There are certainly varying opinions about | | | | sharing of music, DVD's and other media.Many |
| the worth of downloadable music and purchased | | | | teens note that there is an obvious and simple |
| music in general; while a younger generation of | | | | way around the anti-piracy software; all a person |
| music lovers is certainly divided on whether music | | | | has to do is make a copy of the CD once and |
| downloaded online should be free music, there are | | | | then use the copy to make more copies. Those |
| definitely more in that generation deciding that | | | | invested in the downloadable music and digital |
| perhaps people should be more freely allowed. | | | | music craze feel the anti-piracy software is really |
| When it is so much easier to copy mp3's online | | | | just a way to slow down some of the most avid |
| and from friends, and also easier to record entire | | | | copiers while the industry thinks of a more |
| albums in the studio with full digital capabilities, | | | | permanent solution.Other teens support these |
| many young music listeners wonder, is a | | | | new attempts to prevent people from getting |
| musician's work and the musician him/herself really | | | | music for free. They feel that music is a valuable |
| worth as much as at the dawn of the recording | | | | part of everyone's lives that touches so many |
| industry?Many studies have shown that adults | | | | aspects that certainly free music or even cheap |
| that remember a time when recorded music was | | | | music should not even be an option. They fully |
| expensive and more difficult to obtain are much | | | | understand why musicians deserve to be paid for |
| more cognizant and respectful of basic music | | | | the privilege of owning and listening to their music |
| Copyright Law. They understand why certain laws | | | | over and over again.So what are some |
| are in place, and some that are artists themselves | | | | alternatives to illegally downloading digital music or |
| have relied on Copyright Law to protect their | | | | free music?There are many services that provide |
| creative expressions. Copyright Law also allows | | | | low-cost and virtually free music for professionals |
| music and other art forms to perpetuate in the | | | | and individuals simply hoping to expand their music |
| world, and is the reason there is so much variety | | | | collection. For those still entrenched in the CD |
| available.The music industry has been cracking | | | | movement, there are some subscription services |
| down on how people get their music recently in | | | | in development that will allow people to freely |
| response to the increased availability of | | | | share unlimited CD's through the mail at very low |
| downloadable music and digital music on the | | | | cost and without violating Copyright Law.As more |
| Internet. The music industry was largely | | | | services for downloadable music and digital music |
| unprepared for the sudden introduction of file | | | | arrive on the scene and make a more |
| sharing programs to music lovers, and it has | | | | competitive market, track downloads and album |
| taken several years for them to realize their | | | | downloads are becoming cheaper. Even iTunes |
| impact on musicians, songwriters, other music | | | | offers songs as 99 cents apiece, and entire |
| professionals and record companies. Before the | | | | albums at cut rates, so even young people can |
| Internet, most young people bought CD's, and | | | | afford to buy music legally to enjoy.As an |
| shared them by simply burning a copy for friends. | | | | alternative to digital music provided by major |
| While this was certainly a violation of Copyright | | | | music providers, reputable royalty free music |
| Law, it somehow did not pose as large of a | | | | companies are bringing original tracks of music |
| problem as when mp3 players became available | | | | plus many high quality royalty free music versions |
| and people downloaded free music off the | | | | of some favorite classical pieces to listeners at |
| Internet en mass through high-speed connections. | | | | affordable prices and sometimes even free. |
| The music industry has recently started filing | | | | Royalty free music companies such as Royalty |
| lawsuit after lawsuit to stop this phenomenon and | | | | Free offer huge and very comprehensive |
| put systems in place to make music lovers pay | | | | downloadable music libraries with collections from |
| for downloadable music. As was evidenced in | | | | every genre from classical and jazz to rock, |
| recent lawsuits that were filed against those in | | | | techno, dance and Hip Hop. And with royalty free |
| small towns in middle America, you do not have | | | | music, you pay to satisfy Copyright Law upfront |
| to be high profile to suffer consequences for | | | | so you don't have to worry later about any |
| violating the law when it comes to digital | | | | additional fees. Many royalty free music |
| music.The industry has been driving hard to try to | | | | companies even offer totally free music that is of |
| get the public to recognize that not paying for | | | | excellent quality and different from anything else |
| music takes money away from artists and | | | | available.The point with digital music is that |
| musicians that they deserve for their hard work. | | | | listeners will continue to try to find ways to get |
| While music is a source of entertainment and a | | | | free or cheap music; at this stage of technology, |
| cultural commodity for most, for those involved in | | | | finding loopholes and ways that allow for freer |
| creating it, it is a job that they rely on to make | | | | sharing of information is just human nature. |