I remember doing my theses on this subject at Audio Engineering college...
I raised the point that the a lot of the problem lies in how we perceive our actions.
If you are born before 1990, you will most likely have spent your first years in life without internet. Internet and P2P comes along, and suddenly you can get your favourite music for free.
You know, and have been told, that this is in fact illegal, and can have serious ramifications should you get caught.
But does it seem illegal to you? No.
It seems illegal to rob a bank or a grocery store, because that is how you are raised. And you know that police are gonna get ya.
But sitting in your office or bedroom and downloading Beyonce? Doesn't really seem like a crime does it? And what are the chances of getting caught?
The minute people start getting busted left right and centre, things are gonna change. But which police force has time to recover Metallicas lost profit?
I think we simply have to accept that this is the order of the day. People steal music, and unless you can offer them a good alternative, then they are going to keep doing it.
Subscription services seem like the way forward. It has to be cheap, fast, and extremely high quality. And really flippin easy!
We must realise that selling albums at $16 (or whatever the price is) just isn't the way forward.
I think that we must also realise that the level of playing and innovation has been raised a lot since the 60s. And more people have the means to release their songs. So therefore the competition is just getting more and more vicious.
Do you really think that Santana could make it, if he was to start out today?
