Welcome!

These days, it seems like you can doing almost anything on the Internet, from watching your favorite television program to video chatting with friends to conducting research. As the Internet continues to grow and develop, its effect on society expands as well. I want to know how the Internet has affected music. Whether it be musical artists or the music industry, the components of the music we listen to every day have all felt the powerful effects of the Internet’s advances.

Digital technology has brought forth new opportunities for artists, companies, and consumers, presenting us with new ways to create, market, obtain, and listen to music. Just ten years ago, most people obtained their music by driving to the store and purchasing cds while today, digital music can be purchased and downloaded via the Internet. Downloading music has become the norm, replacing cds with a new form of music that does not require any physical material to package and store. Instead of buying entire albums, music listeners can now purchase songs individually, allowing consumers to choose which tracks they want to buy.

Although many people pay for their digital music, thousands download music for free. Most of these free downloads are illegal due to violations of copyright laws, creating a major problem for many artists and music labels that are losing money. While most people would not think of stealing a cd off the shelves of a music store, they see no harm in illegally stealing music online. Illegal downloads are bringing forth issues over copyright laws and presenting the music industry with new problems regarding music distribution. Lawsuits filed against sites like Napster that promoted illegal downloads have forced music artists and companies to rethink their marketing strategies in order to adapt to the age of digital technology.

I want to know your thoughts on the issues regarding the Internet’s effect on music. Please feel free to share your ideas and opinions about any of the subjects I have mentioned as well as present new issues or topics regarding music and the Internet. Why do people feel that it is okay to illegally download music? Who should decide the price of music? What laws should be created or changed in order to improve the current situation? What changes have musical artists and the music industry made in order to adapt to advancements in digital technology? Where have they gone wrong?

These are just a few of the possible questions I would love to discuss on this blog. Remember that these issues are very complex and that there is not usually just one right answer. I encourage you to debate and share your own opinions while keeping in mind the opinions of others. This is an open space for intellectual discussion and conversation.

Enjoy!