File Sharing and the Canadian Indie Musician

Silver linings

Hey Rosetta! – Flickr by natalielucier

As artists and labels have come to accept the realities of file sharing, silver linings have presented themselves. Aaron Miller, of Toronto-based Indie label Arts & Crafts, thinks file sharing can benefit artists and labels, if used correctly.

“It’s indirect, but the ability to spread music and disseminate products around the world like that, even illegally, can mean invaluable exposure,” says Miller.

Struthers cites the overseas popularity of some Canadian bands, like Broken Social Scene and The Weakerthans, which would never have been possible without the internet.

“Broken Social Scene can tour China because of downloading. Nobody there has actually bought their album,” says Struthers. Last year, Broken Social Scene played shows in Singapore, Taiwan, and Tokyo, a long way from their roots in Toronto. The fact that these places have even heard of Canadian music, to which they are rarely otherwise exposed, is a testament to the power of piracy.

The boost is felt at home as well as abroad, which leaves artists and labels in a grey area of support.

“If people are digging the record and then come out to the show, that’s great,” says Kerman.

[pullquote]Physical record sales are a bit of a joke, honestly.[/pullquote]

Maloney agrees. He realizes that not all the people wearing Hey Rosetta! T-shirts and coming to their shows have purchased the albums. “It took them downloading the album to come to our show and buy a shirt in the first place.”

Marti Sarbit, vocalist for Winnipeg duo Imaginary Cities, says that first and foremost, “music should be accessible.” The problem comes when the spread of the artist’s music is beyond their control.

“It’s the artist’s living, and they’re entitled to it,” says Maloney.