What damage is illegal downloading causing?

Illegal downloading seems to be on a steady increase year by year. This can only be pejorative in my view with bands earning less money which nine times out of ten is their living. When a builder does some work on a house he would expect to be paid so why should it be any different for a musician?!

In a recent article on kerrang.com Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stated he downloaded the bands most recent album and was shocked with how fast the music could become available to someone illegally. ( http://www2.kerrang.com/2009/03/lars_ulrich_i_downloaded_death.html ). When a band as big as Metallica is worried about illegal downloading it is evident the problem is a big threat to bands of any size. It also will be making it hard for new bands who are trying to establish themselves, needing C.D sales to reflect that they are doing well, so a label will then want to promote them further, get them on tour more etc.

I seem to be in a growing minority who really enjoys buying C.Ds, I like being able to look at the artwork and the lyrics that the band/ musician have put effort into creating. This is completely lost when someone just has a few files on a computer.

It seems that illegal downloading will not decrease unless larger penalties are put in place for people who do so. I for one think larger penalties are a good idea and can only help music as a whole.