Opinion on downloading
 

Alright, so I spend a lot of time with local music, and see so much talent coming from people that can't go pro. Usually it's because they have a day job and just can't afford to go pro (and by pro, I mean being able to be a full time musician: pay the bills, pay for recordings, pay for tours, merch, etc). I really hate that because a lot of the locals I see really deserve it a lot more.

So, the opinion part now. I have an idea to try and reverse free downloading, but I want to do it to help local bands get that extra push. How big of an impact would it be if you could let fans, potential fans, and anyone else download free music while you get paid? I don't actually know how much it hurts bands right now, but the amount of "playing for exposure", "downloading for exposure", and just basically doing things "for exposure", seems to be a lot . . . Then again, I don't sell music so I don't know.

You mean a band that puts out their music for free?
Bomb the Music industry's frontman Jeff rosenstock did it with ''Quote unquote records''. Everything on that website is free, but they ask for donations. BTMI has survived quite a while this way.

I don't understand the concept of "download free music while you get paid". Can you explain that? Doesn't seem to make sense. Either your music is offered free, in which case you don't get paid, or it isn't, in which case you do. I don't see how it can be both??

Isn't that the beauty of it? That's why it's an idea now.

And with the BTMI, how much marketing did they have to do (serious question) to get people to notice them? Or how big of a following. Because I don't think if everyone band was like "F*** the industry", they'd get much attention without some behind the scenes help.

When bands have a "name your price" option I am always inclined to pay for the music because I think its nice that they give an option.

Some bands make music for different reasons. Some just want it in more people's hands so free music isn't a problem. For the ones who want to do this for a living (who would blame them?) I don't know how they do it. Except maybe keeping up with trends like how records have been popular the past few years.

No. Don't know who Smeenus is either . . .

The GIF! Anyone, please, roll the GIF!