Behind the Music The Benefits of Free Downloading
Behind the Music: The Benefits of Free Downloading The downloading of music has become a prevalent issue in today’s society. Ever since the establishment of Napster and the court case it ensued, the question of whether downloading music is ethically sound or not has been on the public mind. The case against downloading free music has some valid points such as the loss of income for musicians and the music industry as a whole. However, when looked at through a larger perspective, the downloading of music on such sites as Morpheus, Kazaa, and Limewire has some positive benefits. These benefits not only affect the general public, but they also affect the music industry. Allowing music to be downloaded freely will not only keep people from spending money on music they do not like, it will also increase overall album sales and create a wider public interest in certain types of music that are not as widely known. Speaking from the public view, downloading music is much more practical than purchasing it at a store. By simply downloading the songs people want, they forego having to buy the entire album of a band they may not even like.