Well, I guess internet and mp3 culture isn't only bad thing for artists...
I can say about me that with internet I found many many artists. Probably without internet (and downloading or uploading) I wouldn't find them because they aren't in Tv, radio or magazines.
Internet makes you more free - you can find and listen to everything what you want - it can be music from your country, Africa, Iceland - whatever.
Youtube is also good thing - it showed me some artists and it help me with my decision if I want to listen to (or buy) some music or not.
I know, downloading and Youtube stuff is illegal... but... I guess thanks to these things lot of bands find some new fans.
It depends on people...
Always there are people who steal music or who don't buy music. But it was possible before internet too - I think lot of people share/shared music between friends and for example only 20 % of children bought it. At least czech teenagers before internet era was like this. One kid bought album and 20 others kids had it from this person.
People who trully love music probably still buy CDs. It's just different and for me better feeling to listen to music from CD, to have it with nice cover in my hands.
Of course everybody is downloading sometimes but without downloading I wouldn't find what I love now. And I support my favourite musicians so I buy albums... But some of them I wouldn't know without internet and downloading
