Music Downloads

The invention of iTunes has completely changed the dynamics of the music industry, allowing music to be instantly added to your laptop or computer by purchase.  With this invention,  I am sure that myself as any other college student is obsessed with music, pretty much replaying songs over and over again.  Although it may seem a bit tedious, it almost helps to keep me on track with schoolwork or anything else I need to accomplish.  A question regarding the instant access of music on an individual’s computer is how that individual actually gets the song?  Illegal downloading of music is as popular as ever with newer ways where zip files can contain whole recorded albums, or just googling the song and a download box instantly appears on your screen.  Essentially a person can find almost anything on the internet, and I was recently told that there is an “underground” internet where almost anything even illegal substances can be instantly delivered to you without the government finding out, that is scary right?  (I am not sure if that is entirely true, but worrisome to think about!) But back to the point, downloading music proves to be a volatile problem in the music industry because recording artists essentially are having their music stolen from them because the downloads are free.  I do try and respect the band or artist because it essentially is their livelihood to promote and sell their music, but it is interesting to know that a genre can reach a multitude of people within seconds.  I wonder if the musicians who are involved in the recording industry look at this from a rhetorical perspective, that in a way their message is providing discourse to an audience, gaining followers who just want to hear their tone and creative design with their music?