Strange as it might sound, I'm really in agreement with you. Coming into music as a second generation guitarist, I was pretty much told not to look at sound recordings as anything other than a business card. Making money from them is a pipe dream. What the best thing about the internet and sharing is that listeners who actually want to listen to things can, and setting music free into the world is supposed to be about that in my opinion - sharing and expecting nothing but appreciation in return. I remember taping songs off the radio so I could listen to them later because I really enjoyed the sounds. The internet is kinda like that on steroids, and that's not a bad thing in my opinion.

I like how Gabe Newell asserted (paraphrased) that piracy is more of a "distribution & price point" problem than something inherent in business. The major players in the fight against Copyright Infringement are multi-national corporations that would sell cow shit at a 150% markup if they could get people to buy it. There's a lot of altruism that goes into becoming a fan, to sharing something with somebody else, and then wanting to buy a ticket to a concert.

My newest reference point of how this can work - and work well for everybody - is Run The Jewels. Both RTJ1 and RTJ2 were released free, and I burned them on disc and banged them so hard I'm sure my car speakers hate me. From there though, I saw them at a ~500 person venue in support of RTJ1, and then at a 2,000 person venue - sold out - in support of RTJ2. There are ways to make money from fans, but I am very jaded on the model of trying to make people pay first and then pay more later.

I love busking. I take my guitar and a little amp out on the street and play for nothing because I love what I do and I want to share it. I think it kind of refers to the motivation of why somebody wants to get into music.

Is it a path to be a star, or is it something to reflect just who you are?

Thanks for taking the time to share your perspective and cheers.