Karl Miller wqrote:Consider all of those young rock and roll musicians who put their recordings up on the web and allow free downloads, just to let people hear their music...and so they might be able to develop a following and get gigs. Does the lack of payment for those free downloads discourage them from playing and making those recordings available?
This has been one of the most specious song sharking scams in history. It's unheard of for free downloads to drive CD sales or sell tickets to see anybody but a "name" performer. It has been around long enough that people are starting to realize this form of "exposure" has been an utter failure.
The working conditions for musicians today are dramatically worse than they were when I started during the mid 1960s. Busking on the street provides more useful exposure and pays better than most club gigs. Nobody can make a living in the minor leagues. This is why there isn't a whole lot to choose from in today's major leagues and a lot of the public is yawning at the idea of spending money on music or music reproduction compared to the past.
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Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN
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