Artist Bassnectar sees leaked album as an honor

The American producer and artist Bassnectar responded remarkably on a fans question about leaking and illegally downloading music. The short answer: “A leaked album is a sign of interest. Very few people will track down a leaked album from an artist they have no interest in. Make it easy for fans to support the artist, preferably directly. The more paranoid you are about leaked albums and "lost sales," the less likely it is that your music is easily found and purchased.”

Bassnectar says that leaking is more like an honor that enough people seem to care and they want to get the album as soon as possible. Furthermore Bassnectar says it is important for all artists to make it easy for people to support what they love. And it is important for those who love the art to decide how they can support the artist. He also says that it is naïve to think digital media will not be leaked or illegally downloaded repeatedly, because it’s just a fact of life.

However, he also says that if people want to download leaked albums, they have to decide if and how to follow up with support. He encourages his fans that if they download leaked music and they enjoy it, they should buy the official version. I agree with Bassnectar that it seems fair that if you enjoy the music of an artist, you should (financially) support him. The reason thereof is because it takes a lot of time and energy for artists to create their craft, and even more time and energy for them to prepare a release, and to distribute it.

Previously, we also wrote about the Foo Fighters' latest album 'Wasting Light' which leaked onto the internet. Instead of being angry, the band seemed relieved and happy that this has happened. The relaxed response seemed to have a positive effect. Now we have to wait and see if this will also be the case for Bassnectar.

Reference: Techdirt.com