There IS a reason its called illegal downloading

Many people believe that sharing purchased files, particularly music files, is just a product of today's advanced technology. After all if you can get something you want for free and have no consequence why not do it. However this method of thought is having serious consequences on the music industry. The Internet, accompanied by ripable CD's and P2P networking programs, have changed the music industry drastically.
Over the last several years the music industry has become a big business machine. Record labels are now easier to get but much harder to keep. Many artist are falling victim to these business giants. Labels are no longer as promising as they once were. Artist, especially new artist, rely on record sales and live performances to not only make themselves money, but to keep them out of debt from there label. I have had a lot of experience with record business's thus I have heard and witnessed horror stories from failed or struggling artist. There is a chain of events that occurs when you are a new artist. The key to getting noticed is selling records. Without popularity one can not put on a live show. The business begins and ends with record sales. There is no longer the guaranteed pay check from labels as there once was, at least not for new artists. I had a friend who actually went into the debt of his label because his album sales missed quota. When you dont have a fan base it is un;likely a larger band will pick you for a member or even opener for a tour.
Artist today are under a tremendous amount of pressure to keep a continuous amount of new material flowing. They are also getting less and less revenue for there work due to P2P and disc ripping. However my main concern is not for the artist at all. The artist are the face of the music but many of them do not even create what they perform or record. My main concern is for the writers. I myself am a song writer so i can attest to the difficulties of retaining the rights to ones song after having it go public. it is very difficult. Writers have never really received the credit they deserved for there music but they were always well payed. Now, with their highest means of revenue, album sales, being diminished they are not even receiving that. I mean look at it this way if you were to write a book and only one person bought it but they made copies for others that would suck you being the writer and all right? Well now think of it as writing something not getting credit for it, and not getting paid for it. How bad would that suck.