[chrisso]

+1 Dean.
You were doing a great job giving people a reality check.
I do work in the industry.
The descriptions of the industry prior to the last decade are so wildly off (and universally negative in the extreme) it makes me wonder how many of the contributors here have any experience of working in music.

The biggest argument often given pro free music is that it frees up the little musician, living on the edge, to have their voice heard.
maybe...... but they could do that inside the previous business model anyway (like the punks 1975-1980).

The biggest point on my side of the argument is the taking of my work without my permission, without paying me.
So...... if the utopian dream of the anti-music business lobby here was played out in reality - people like me would be going bust, while new, young artists who gave away their music freely would be prospering.
In fact we would be talking about these new (free sharing) artists and not Beyonce, Lady GaGa or Nickelback.
So I say this.......
If you are so passionate in your belief that past musicians and music industry employees were greedy and ripped off the public, go out and make your own music, then give it away free.

I highly suspect people will still steal Beyonce and lady GaGa tracks - and i've yet to see any evangelical anti-industry forum members put their money where their mouth is and make their own music to give away free (thus blowing apart the previous business model). No, it's always people taking without permission the music that was created under the previous business model.
Stop blaming us (the previous generation), be my guest and bypass my preferred model.
Make your own music.
I'm still waiting.........