What exactly is “Free

Imagine this conversation – I am in a sandwich shop and the person making my sandwich has a song playing that I produced. He is singing along to it and knowing I work in studios asks me if I like it. Naturally I say “yes I do – I produced it – glad you like it too – do you like the album?” He replied ‘don’t know, I just downloaded a couple of the tracks from the net”. I asked him if he used legal download sites. “No” he said “I don’t believe in paying for music, the record companies are making too much money as it is – they can afford it”.

I was getting annoyed by now and offered the suggestion that perhaps it wasn’t just the record companies he was stealing from but me and the artist too – but the argument seemed to be lost on him.

I tried again, well let’s look at it like this” I said “ this sandwich you are making for me, the bread costs about 5p, the butter - 1p, the cheese – 5p and the salad maybe 8p tops – let’s be generous it cost you 25p to make along with your time and the unnecessary packaging you will put it the total can’t be more than 75p and yet you feel quite justified charging me over £2.50 for it. How about I decide that this food should be free and you are making enough profit already so I will just take it?”

It is taking him a little time to get his head around this – I am still waiting for his answer.

Of course this conversation is fictitious but nevertheless perfectly plausible.

For my part, I can’t quite get my head around the concept that music has no value and should be free. How is that supposed to work? Even the concept for instance that you don’t pay for the music but you do pay by tolerating some advertising is also something of a mystery to me. The opposite however does make sense, for instance I subscribe to an internet radio service which enables me to listen to the stations without the commercials – it’s my choice.

I can’t think of any other industry where the workers are expected to provide their services for free – where are the free builders, plumbers, plasterers and electricians? There are certainly no free lawyers, accountants or doctors and as we all no there is no such thing as a free lunch1

It is high time we dispensed with this nonsense about free music and started putting the economic structure of the music business in order.