I believe what Gary meant was that the creators and providers of music should be paid for their efforts, but listening should be free, which, fundamentally, it is. A radio is pretty cheap, and with that device we can listen to countless hours of music for the price of the receiver and the electricity.

The problem is the digital revolution, and how very easy that makes copying and redistributing anything that can be captured digitally. The DRM always seems to run behind the technology, and it seems really impossible to control the pirating of digital assets in our age. Some folks are contending that any attempt to prevent the pirating of digital creations is just fruitless, as the hackers always seem to be able to crack any security method in a manner of minutes.

There is far, far more music out there that I really like than I can ever listen to. I listen to a great deal without ever stealing any, by way of podcasts. If I hear an artist on a particular podcast, and greatly enjoy the music, then I will purchase the CD version, usually from CD Baby, Amazon, or some other online store. That way I have a much higher fidelity version of the tunes to enjoy.

It appears that the 'hard copy' version of music is on the decline, and probably will be for the future. Somehow artists will have to adapt to that, and it won't be easy or painless.

Fire, the wheel, and the I IV V -- foundations of civilization.