[letter]

I used to buy as much as I could, because I wanted to. I still like the idea of buying music; it doesn't get me as excited as it used to, but if I can afford it, I want to support the artists I like--I want them to feel that their hard work is appreciated. I want them to have number one albums/singles, receive awards, not for the fame and promotion it might grant them, but because as a fan, I want to give something back to them. I've Ayu's entire discography on a DVD disc (some ripped from CDs, some downloaded) that I can access at any time and put it on my iPod if I feel like listening to her, despite having paid for it in the past. MP3's are easier to access, and there are a lot of songs that I download, but wouldn't buy because I don't like enough of the artist's music, and so on. The internet makes it easier to access music. If it weren't for sites like youtube, or people who upload music, I wouldn't have ever found out about Ayu, would have never bought anything of hers, so this goes both ways--you gain some, you lose some.