I, too, ended up feeling disappointed after realizing the song was most likely meant to be a sermon against filesharing. For weeks I found myself enchanted by the sound and tone and feel of the song, first when hearing it on the radio, then later at home after I had (ironically, I suppose) downloaded it. After having listened to it and let my mind meander over various meanings, I went out and bought the CD, not having heard much of Gillian Welch and wanting to hear more. It was around this point, driving around listening to the CD, that I realized the likely meaning. As Onechad put it, the song was so heart-wrenching and beautiful, it sounded like it should have been about something bigger than money and the filesharing controversy.
My experience also illustrates something largely ignored by the more rabid opponents of filesharing -- overall, it tends to INCREASE the amount of money that goes to the artist. Sure, there may be decreased CD sales (though in many cases, especially for smaller-scale artists, filesharing results in increased CD sales). But the "brand awareness" of the artist skyrockets, concert tickets soar, word of mouth provides free advertising. Wise bands can make themselves by riding the filesharing wave in the right way.
And as for any decreased CD sales, does anyone know how much the average artist makes from a CD sale? Last I looked into it, the average ranged between twenty cents and two dollars, while the CDs themselves sell for $10 to $20. Bring recoupment and other factors into it, and most artists get almost nothing from CD sales. It's the greedy parasites known as record labels and record executives that lose money through filesharing, not the artists.
Many artists actually benefit from filesharing, and most of the rest aren't much affected.
I, too, ended up feeling disappointed after realizing the song was most likely meant to be a sermon against filesharing. For weeks I found myself enchanted by the sound and tone and feel of the song, first when hearing it on the radio, then later at home after I had (ironically, I suppose) downloaded it. After having listened to it and let my mind meander over various meanings, I went out and bought the CD, not having heard much of Gillian Welch and wanting to hear more. It was around this point, driving around listening to the CD, that I realized the likely meaning. As Onechad put it, the song was so heart-wrenching and beautiful, it sounded like it should have been about something bigger than money and the filesharing controversy.
My experience also illustrates something largely ignored by the more rabid opponents of filesharing -- overall, it tends to INCREASE the amount of money that goes to the artist. Sure, there may be decreased CD sales (though in many cases, especially for smaller-scale artists, filesharing results in increased CD sales). But the "brand awareness" of the artist skyrockets, concert tickets soar, word of mouth provides free advertising. Wise bands can make themselves by riding the filesharing wave in the right way.
And as for any decreased CD sales, does anyone know how much the average artist makes from a CD sale? Last I looked into it, the average ranged between twenty cents and two dollars, while the CDs themselves sell for $10 to $20. Bring recoupment and other factors into it, and most artists get almost nothing from CD sales. It's the greedy parasites known as record labels and record executives that lose money through filesharing, not the artists.
Many artists actually benefit from filesharing, and most of the rest aren't much affected.