And since the companies didn't have any real competition, artists had no other place to go. That power put them above both the artists and the audience. They own the plantation. I live on tips. Giving music away for free is what artists have been doing naturally all their lives.
Nobody buys content.
Real people pay money for music because it means something to them. A great song is not just something to take up space on a Web site next to stock market quotes and baseball scores. Every single artist who makes records believes and hopes that they give you something that will transform your life. Also lots of unwholesome cursing and nudity occurred. This way I knew that no matter how tempting the cash was, they'd never do business with me again.