[taylorlb]

This is a good example of the fundamental attribution error. The author seems to mistake his coming of age and discovering a world of available music for the rise of independent music and endless consumer choice. Independent labels have flourished since the beginning of recorded music, technology has simply easier to get to their product and much cheaper for them to reach their listeners.

Technology has had countless positive effects on musicians and the recorded music industry but in terms of people who finance the production of recorded music, be it artists themselves or big companies, 'free' music has not been much of a step forward. The only one that comes to mind is the sharp reduction in cost of allowing potential fans to hear music before they buy it, but this also irrevocably blurred the lines of what is free and what should be require a payment.