Our Heliophobic Sun

I don't recall saying that those artists make music only because they like it. I said that that should be what it is about, but it isn't. That was actually what I disliked about it in the first place. If artists actually see the music as work, instead of a medium in which to express yourself, they are obviously doing it because of the money.

I don't have anything against the selling of albums, but I do have something against the endless bitching of artists against downloads. Because the bands that I have seen that complained about it, have enough money as it is. If you make as much money as a band like Metallica, I can't see why you would be pissed if your sales go down a bit. The smaller bands, which I would think have more reason to bitch about it, don't say a word about it. One quite big band in the Netherlands, Kutschurft, limited their first cd to 100 copies. When they saw that they were becoming really popular, they didn't change anything. The second album as well was limited, and was sold out really quick. They didn't get to see much money from that day onwards, but they continued making music. And that is the right spirit. I even have the original of their first two albums, because they were not only worth it for the music, but also for the people that made it.
I also know that these guys had jobs aside from the music. But they could give me the music I loved, with their main income being from full-time jobs


Sorry that I wasn't clear on this in my first post, this is my mistake, but I do not ONLY download music. Like I said, I have the first two albums by Kutschurft, and I have about 100/110 original albums right next to me now. Also, if an artist is whining about their albums being downloaded, I won't download them. I won't buy them either, though, I just don't listen to the music. If I feel that an artist is worth being paid not only because they make good music, but also because they make music with good intentions, I won't complain about having to pay them. And if they really do make music with the intentions I described, they won't be pissed if I download their albums.

And even if I do only download the music, which I do with most bands, I will support them. I give them good reviews, encourage them to keep doing what they are doing, etc.. Why should an artist only be able to measure their success by how much money they are making? If you look around on the internet, and you see that people like your music, they enjoy listening to you, they feel what you want them to feel... That should be your real reward. Even if you are making millions off your albums, that should be the thing that encourages you to keep making music.


Wasn't that always the case? If you aren't well known, you won't make a lot of money. Not only because of the downloads, but because you are not well known. I am not saying that those bands were not good, or they lacked something. But it has always been the case that some bands that make some of the best music do not get well known, and some that are pure shit get well known, that's not something that has come along with the illegal downloading of music.
If you look at the "grind" bands, with which I mean goregrind, porngrind, etc. The really extreme forms of music, I can't imagine that they make a lot of money, even if all of their albums are being sold. Yet they keep making music. If you look at some black metal bands, who have a thing for limiting their albums, I can't imagine them making a lot of money as well, yet they keep making music...