At least major tech companies create jobs
As someone with a politically Conservative orientation, I am all for job creation, but as a former, Nashville singer-songwriter, I must remind you that people who obtain copyrighted material for free are KILLING jobs in the music industry.
You wouldn't expect any business to survive, if customers could go to some website and get the products of that business for free, so why shouldn't the music business be any different?
Of course, you don't HAVE to purchase the use of that song. You are free to write and produce your own!
I can't agree with this kind of logic. "people who obtain copyrighted material for free are KILLING jobs in the music industry.". The reason I can't agree with this logic is that in order to believe this, you have to act as if there is some way to put the cat back in the bag. You have to believe that there's somehow a way that we can all go back to buying albums like back in the good ole days. It flies in the face of all the advancements in technology and distribution that have been made in the last 20 years.
I think a lot of musicians need to face the music. The music industry is not what it used to be, and it will never again be what it used to be. The Taylor Swift's of the world are grasping at the relics of yesteryear. The music industry, despite it's best efforts will never go back to it's roots of selling albums. Technology won't let it happen. Society won't let it happen. People are more content with their Netflix and Spotify subscriptions. It's a damn hard sell to tell them to go back to buying individual albums and movies.
It's amazing how long the music industry has continued their kicking and screaming charade. So what if the jobs have dried up in Nashville. Jobs are opening up in people's bedrooms and basements. Kids are absolutely free to write and produce their own music... in fact, the barriers to entry are lower than they ever have been before. All you need is a laptop and some inspiration.
Personally, I don't feel sorry for the music industry at all. If they got their way, they would make everything about music sh*ttier. It would be harder to obtain, cost way more, and the experience of music would be way worse. Youtube and other distribution platforms, while they have their flaws at least have the user experience as a priority. All of these streaming platforms make consuming music easy and enjoyable and fluid. I understand that musicians want and deserve to get paid, I just don't think that they need to get paid off the media itself. The media isn't physical, it doesn't need to be stored, transported, shelved, and sold at a cash register. It's not worth $1 or more per song. I have so many entertainment options at my fingertips every second of the day, you can't convince me that I need to give you money to listen to a song. Not today. It's your job as a musician to find the new ways to get paid for your art. Tour. Sell merch. Sell your songs to advertisers. The artists who can innovate will succeed. The Taylor Swifts will fade away into obscurity as the world changes around them.