Should music be free?

United States
May 11, 2010 9:36pm CST
I recently made the decision to offer all my music free download. I like to share my music and don't mind not making any money off of it. The thing is this: I'd really love to quit my dayjob and become a musician. How the heck am I supposed to do that if all my music is free? I know I must draw the line somewhere. I really enjoy sharing my music, but, I'd like to progress as well.
5 responses
@allamgirl (2140)
• Philippines
13 May 10
i used to think that music download should be free. i thought if you really are a music lover, you wouldn't mind sharing your talent and music with everyone. i thought if you are a true musician and music really is your passion, all you would care about is making your music heard and be appreciated by everyone; you wouldn't care about money. but yeah, reality-wise, that isn't really practical, especially for people like you who wants to make a living out of music.
@allamgirl (2140)
• Philippines
18 May 10
good luck on finding a record deal. i hope you don't sell out :)
• United States
13 May 10
Yes, that is exactly how I feel. I love music, I love sharing music. Not just my own, all music. You can't make a living doing that in reality. And if you go the route of the Record Company giants, you sell your soul and all control of your creativity. It would be nice to find a small record company to work with me on stuff.
@meowcow (931)
• Philippines
12 May 10
Music SHOULD be free. It should have been for years. But the way the system is structured... I don't see how we can change it in our lifetime. I'm still hopeful though. When I get rich I'll definitely do something about that. :P As for now, as per your predicament... Everything's a gamble, but with the right elements, you might not be gambling at all. Most musicians made it while working day jobs at first before they struck gold. It's a struggle you have to deal with. And as a musician, it's a struggle you'll have to embrace. Cos the irony is, most good music comes from pain and swimming against the current so to speak. Evidence lies in those "artists" that began to suck when they struck it rich. As a start, I'd suggest for you to gauge your talent/skill, then marketability. If one of these things are missing you'd have an even harder time than most in making it. We all want to just make art for free and share it. But until money's phased out or we find a good system that works for artists as well (they can give out their stuff for free and get to eat well still), these are the problems we have to deal with. But hey, maybe your day job now can be the catalyst for the music gold you have yet to make and skyrocket you to fame and fortune. :) Let me know if you need someone to collaborate with. ^^ Good luck!
• United States
13 May 10
Thanks. It's obvious you understand my dilemna well. I have made all my songs available for free download. I figure, I haven't really lost anything anyways except the time. I love sharing it and I still will always get the satisfaction from that.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
12 May 10
That is a dilemma for sure. Let us know when you find an equitable solution. Meanwhile, enjoy your creativity and skills.
• United States
13 May 10
Thanks. For now, I've put all my songs up and made them free to download. I have added a "Donation" button and explained what it was for. I don't really think that is a viable solution, but, it is different and it will work for now. I will keep you posted for sure. :-)
@ifa225 (14364)
• Indonesia
12 May 10
the things is everybody needs some money so they can improve the music better. and i think it is ok if we have to buy it. we get some pleasure and some money is worth as the return.
• Philippines
12 May 10
i agree we must share our talent for free. cause we didn't for that talent so we must share it for free.. maybe some musician sell it because they have financial problem and they need money its not a problem atleast he/she shared his/her talent but ofcourse the price must be right or worth it..
• United States
12 May 10
True, but, in today's world, you have to pay for your equipment and pay for airtime and pay for studio time and pay for album printing and so on. It gets so expensive. It really is tought o compete with the larger than life record companies without working your butt off and touring constantly. I like sharing my music, but, it would benefit my music to have some cash behind it as well.