Music Streaming

http://digitalethics.org/essays/ethical-way-stream-music/

After reading the article by Holly Richmond, I had a number of reactions. I, first and foremost, was very interested in the subject matter. The debate over streaming and downloading music for free has been a hot topic in the music world for a number of years now. I agree with her point that Napster has ultimately changed the music industry in a drastic way. However, I do not think it is as negative a change. I definitely see the negative aspects of it, but also sided with a number of the people she mentioned in the article that saw positive side effects.
Let's start with the downside to streaming and downloading music for free. The reasons are fairly obvious and have been the main points artists and the industry use when trying to fight against this streaming and downloading. By getting digital versions of artists' music for free, you are not sending any funds to the artists themselves. This is an issue because their music is their product, and to be able to have their product, they should be compensated. They also need to have a living somehow, and without any royalties or income from their work, they cannot exactly accomplish that. Another problem I considered is that by not paying for an artist's music, the artist might lose incentive to create anything else. If they are not making any money, then why should they keep trying? Now there are some artists out there who actually support free downloading and streaming. These include singers like Dave Grohl and Neil Young. In an online article, both artists relate streaming music online to listening to a song on the radio (https://www.upvenue.com/article/1590-musician-stances-on-music-piracy.html). Bigger names and bands are, however, able to make a living much easier because they can rely on merchandise and concert revenues and don't have to worry as much about song and album purchases, which often reward the artist with maybe a dime per every dollar spent.
Now the positive side of the argument for streaming and downloading music puts the spotlight on indie, underground, and lesser known groups. I think, as pointed out in the Richmond article, that free streaming and sharing definitely helps these groups out. The first step towards bigger and better things for a band is to first be heard and be noticed. What better way to do this than just getting your music out there to as many people as possible? Not many people will pay for music from someone they have never heard of. So in this way, free streaming would certainly help these groups out.
The bottom line for me, is that when it comes down to it, I think artists should be compensated for their work in some way or another. If we must use a streaming service such as Spotify, we should use the one that rewards the artists the most, such as Xbox Music. I do think, though, that file sharing is a great way to get the word out and actually promote a group. There's just a really fine line between trying to help an artist out, or actually hurting the artist in the process.