BY JENNIFER YANKO
Staff Writer

While illegally downloading music may be illegal, it is essentially a victimless crime.

Most major artists today make their money through touring. Tickets, t-shirts, and other concert merchandise now provide the cash for singers, rappers, and bands. Considering the price of tickets alone, touring for big artists is a very lucrative business. Does Beyonce’s banking statement really get a dent in it when someone illegally downloads one of her songs instead of buying it for $1.29 on iTunes?

But what about new artists, who don’t immediately skyrocket to fame? In reality, illegal downloading can end up eventually creating additional concert revenue for these artists.

That’s because people only want to go to concerts by artists they already know and love. If listeners had to pay for every song they wanted to hear, the cost would keep them from hearing songs by many new artists. Being able to illegally download songs for free lets listeners hear lots of songs by new artists. Then the listeners become fans, and they go to see these artists in concert, providing plenty of revenue.

Another reason why illegally downloading music is acceptable is because much of the money from music sales does not go to the artist at all. Record companies are huge corporations that have plenty of money. In fact, music history is filled with stories of record companies that have ripped off artists. When performers rely on concerts for revenue, the record company isn’t around to gobble up much of the money. Instead, it stays with the artist, where it belongs.

It’s easy to forget that long ago, music wasn’t for sale. Troubadours traveled from town to town, earning a living by performing their music for the people. The music world in 2015 in some ways has gone back to that setup, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.