How the file sharing/piracy debate is in rainbows…

  

             So we are now approaching nearly a decade of file sharing and torrent downloading.  The culture and networks supporting this are established and active enough to testify its longevity.  If there were any doubts on the power and infrastructure of the downloading community the backlash and negative publicity over SOPA and PIPA put that to rest… simply stated file sharing, or for the opposition, piracy is here to stay.  But, in relations to music on a macro view, is this intellectual property and copyright infringement a positive reality or destructive to the music industry we all love so dear.  My hope in this entry is to bring enlightenment to the many contemporary ideas concerning copyright infringement and how, whether you like or not, it contains positive qualities.

First off when we as music listeners, or a consumer of anything for that matter, perceives and listens to a given song we have expectations or uses in which we hope to gratify.  We want to receive a benefit from anything like an emotional stimulation, social acceptance, or self expression.  A lot of times these expectations are inherent and satisfied on a sub-conscious level but nonetheless are present.  The minute a monetary exchange takes place, i.e. purchase of a song/album, there is an immediate spike in the music consumers’ expectations.  The money invested psychologically shifts the individual to demand more gratification in order to meet their now raised expectations.  This can ultimately influence the listeners end perception of whether or not you like the artist and if there will be a continuous relationship.  I mean think about the last time you purchased an album (if you can even remember) in which it was sub-par, guaranteed you either forgot about the artist in its entirety or no longer listen to them.  The next time you probably encountered that artists’ you had a very powerful negative stigma going in, which is known as selective process.  This experience brings to light the reality that music listeners are more likely to enjoy, partake, and continue listening to an artist’s when their expectations are lowered.  This happens when they can consume music for free through the usage of file sharing. 

The amount of new music and independent artists that have been able to find success in this realm is very encouraging, especially since most artists are accepting to the communal experience of file sharing more than ever.  To me, the landmark example and one that proved all the positive attributes of file sharing to ring true was the historic release of Radiohead’s In Rainbows.  Already established worldwide in the “indie/alternative” scene, the band decided to release their 7^th album completely free via download on their website.  Not to mention also that they did not re-sign to a major label at this period, becoming completely self-distributed.  The album propelled them into a whole new level exposure and critical acclaim.  I will venture to argue that so many people connected strongly to this album because they were able to listen to it with a lowered expectation and sense of gratification due to the absence of monetary exchange.  Ultimately file sharing provides the artists with a much more quality exposure.

Here are the guys from Radiohead on The Colbert Report talking and joking about various issues including self-distribution…http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/397946/september-26-2011/radiohead