Fair enough, Nick. But one thing I would point out is that I continually here about what it costs the big operators to make a CD, but I have yet to see a credible cite on that info. Second, the cost of production is but one part of what it takes them to bring it to market, distribution and promotion being another. Also, here in the States, the "price it at what the market will bear" principle is alive and well. It is, after all, a capitalist economy. Lest anyone should misunderstand, I am not defending the "big boys" (how come we never call them "the big girls" .... chuckle), but I would like to know from a credible source what the real number is.

And having said all that, where does that leave smaller artists such as inhabit The Mudcat? I know that my first CD cost me a little over $10,000 to produce. The first run was 1000 CD's. By the time you factor in promo copies to promoters, radio shows, etc., you have to get $11.00 +, and that doesn't compensate the artist for the time they spend in the studio. We figured that we really weren't going to make any money on the CD until we got in the second run, and that pretty well was the case. So when we sell a CD for $15.00, we pretty well have to, in order to put food on the table. I know that the low volume dealers like Folk Legacy and Camsco are in the same kind of boat. They operate based on love of the music more than profit motive even though they are paying the bills (barely) at $15.00 a copy. This is why it is so important, in my mind, to get a handle on controlling downloading now. And it is doubly important to make sure everyone understands that this is theft, and it is NOT harmless. I think the attitude really bothers me most. Technology can fix the ability to control the downloading, but getting folks to understand that they don't have the right to steal my intellectual property, and that there is a cost to me when you do, is the real battle.

All the best,

Mick