Very insightful, and many good points. But the reality is, if artists don't get paid, the music will die. It's not a bailout for failure to keep up with technology. It's trying to regain control of their product which was pirated for years (napster, file sharing, etc.). It nearly killed the music industry and is killing print media as we speak. The truth is technology has made it easier to steal the works of artists, works of value.
To compare artists charging royalties for their work to taxes doesn't make any sense at all.
The music won't die. True artists have music in their very being. In fact, those who WANT airplay and are on their way up are e-mailing stations like our small one every day begging for airplay. They want play in small and large markets, and would KILL to be on XM and Sirius. They want to perform for the love of the performance. It's once greed takes over and there are Managers, Agents, Record Labels and all the "big guys" that the perception of "Music" becomes a perception of "business."
I agree, however....It really is not a "tax." That's the common person's language for our Government's blatant willingness to hear two industries fighting each other in the courtroom of Congress over greed. Truly, it IS one industry crying to the government about another.
Now, consider....as far as the artists' income...THEY pay for the rights to perform these works, just like we do, (if they don't write their own.) THEN...their income is based on their own PERFORMANCE. Meaning, their concerts, their mp3 downloads, their endorsements via music used in product advertising, and by the buying of ther ir perfornances in movies and TV. They (musicians) ARE a commodity, and no different than one brand name of a product that fights for the consumer's attention and money. It's the more popular ones make more money.
In a nut-shell, they (artists) need promoting. Public recognition. Public Relations. How do they get it? XM, Sirius, Muzak, Elevators (just kidding)...and Terrestrial.
THEY need US. Their greed, however doesn't allow them to see this yet. The "easy" American way out of a bad business model, of late (or out of a business whose model doesn't change with time and technology then heads toward failure) is to ask for a handout from people that are mandated to give it. And, its happening too much.
It still starts a dangerous trend that won't stop with music. That's my major concern. Whose industry is next?
(soapbox just got removed. Sorry.)