Should Downloading Music Be Legal or Illegal?

Some people believe the illegal downloading of music is harmless. They claim that musicians don't make money off of the success of their CD. People who are in favor of the illegal downloading of music, instead, insist that musicians are all making cash mostly for doing concerts. This may be so, in many cases. But these same people often claim that musicians should not care if everyone downloads their music... Should the illegally downloaded music be made legal?

Well, it comes at no surprise that most of the people making such claims are not putting out music on CD. I think if anyone knows how the illegal downloading of music is affecting them, it would be the musicians themselves. Why then, if the illegal downloading of music is so harmless, would many musicians be so against it?

Could it be that the illegal downloading of music is causing harm? What sort of harm, though?

I've also heard people complain that CDs cost too much. Why should someone pay $20 for a CD they might not like? The illegal downloading of music allows people to preview a CD before buying it. At a glance over this reasoning, I would have to agree, that illegally downloading music might seem like a prudent action to take.

However, if six billion people were to gain legal rights to download free music, how many would preview and delete those music files? Why would anyone delete a music file that they legally downloaded? After all, it wouldn't be illegally downloaded music at this point. There would be no reason to go out and buy the CD.

Six billion people would have to do no more than burn the legally downloaded music onto a blank CD completely free. They would get into no trouble, but music CD manufacturers, and anyone responsible for the production and distribution of these products would quickly miss all that money in sells.

But how would this effect the musician, who seems to be, by this whole line of reasoning, the only important entity involved in the production of music?