This seems like an interesting book about Freeloading http://tinymixtapes.com/features/book-review-freeloading-how-our-insatiable-hunger-for-free-content-starves-creativity

Do you think we are starting to see the long term effects of file-sharing? Have you changed your consumption of music at all or are you just using Spotify and Soundcloud instead of downloading? Do you have a build up of guilt that means you end up buying things like merch or vinyl or tickets or paying for Kickstarter projects?

In the summary that it mentions how people downloading music for free is partly because its soneasy and convenient to do, but that has meant that artists now need to seek money from brands and corporations which perhaps isn't seeing money end up distributed according to much more than buzz and hype, which doesn't seem 'fair'. This section of the article linked about echoes a lot of what's in Jaron Lanier's brilliant new book Who Owns the Future:

''Artists and record labels may not see a penny of profit from illegal downloads, but the same can’t be said for institutions like the Pirate Bay and Mediafire, nor even for Google, who profits from selling ad space to websites that infringe on copyright. And contrary to popular belief, the ready availability of free content on the web has not led to a world untainted by the corrupting influence of filthy lucre, but to increasing co-option of independent artists by wealthy corporations. By taking our music for free, Ruen argues, we are surrendering our “voice” in the marketplace and creating a void that corporate sponsors are more than happy to fill. It’s an unsettling thought, particularly when Ruen demonstrates how marketing companies turn artists and publications into extensions of their clients’ brands, as with Pitchfork’s partnership with FADER, a key mouthpiece for Cornerstone Media.''

Mostly started this thread because I'm curious if your feelings about free music have changed at all.