Due to the fact that the Internet has enabled the use of software that allowed peer-to-peer transfers of files between different Internet users, the illegal downloading of music was made possible for internet users all over the world. There are both pros and cons to downloading music. The pros and cons of this action definitely has had its affects on the music industry in different ways. Since the launch of programs such as Limewire, one of the first most popular adopted music downloading services in 2000, the sources of unauthorized music to download for free from the internet have proliferated tenfold. Although the practice of downloading copyrighted material, such as a song, has always been illegal, there has not been a proven effective …show more content…
Some of these positive affects include making music readily available to the masses, the promotion of artists, and the ability to save on costs that would have incurred due to purchasing. Thanks to the ability to download music with the click of a button, music is accessible to the masses within minutes. Digital downloading benefits the music industry as music becomes instantly available to all sometime after its release. Music lovers are able to get what they want without struggling or having to wait for long periods of time. Downloading music is also way to promote artists for the music industry. While music is downloaded and distributed to the public, those who download are advertising for the artists and exposing others to their music for free. The concept of making music available for free has contributed to the popularity of the music industry. Those who support music downloading claim that making music readily available contributes to the increased popularity of the artists (Oak, 2016). IPods, iPhones, and Mp3 players are already costly enough as it is. When music is downloaded, instead of purchased, the downloader is also able to save on