[brown9-2]

I hear a lot of "fans" that download all of their music and think that they support the artist by going to their show. This is not the case.

Well, it's not like their ticket purchases are for naught - it still offsets the cost of touring for the artist. The artists would be worse off doing the same tour with less fans attending.

What better choice do the fans have anyway? Buying the records supports the record label, not the artist.

[klbarry]

And the record label supports the artist, or else why would artist's join them?

[muhfuhkuh]

Larger exposure for the inevitable tour that, if GP is accurate, doesn't make money.

Why people don't go the route of Jonathan Coulton or Pomplamoose, and just scratch it out on their own talents, is beyond me. Hell, I think even those "hide your kids, hide your wife" news parody musicians apparently make more money than major label star. The math just doesn't seem to be adding up anywhere being on a label, is what I'm trying to say.

I guess you have to be a blindingly white-hot ultra-mega-super-duperstar to make a penny from labels and touring, and everyone else should just pack it in or go indie?

Seems like it sucks worse to be a musician than to be a struggling actor or indie mobile app developer.