Matt Henshaw on Music Piracy

Interview by Chloe Goodrum ...

I was just wondering what your stance on music piracy is?

I believe I'm in the minority amongst working musicians who don't mind music piracy. There are loads of reasons, the music business/industry is full of talentless people reaping the monetary benefits of working with certain artists, some talented, some not so, and then bleeding artists, and loyal fans alike, dry.

I think we're all the blame for the failings and current instability of the music industry, artist have become lazy and apathetic blinded by the belief that they need a record deal or certain management to succeed and make a living making music, it's not all about selling records.

I like music piracy in that to a certain extent it democratises a lot of things, we can get all the music we want, and an independent artist can have his or her or their music listened to by as many people as a major record label act. The main factor for me though is it forces artists to perform live more in order to benefit from making music, and if you can't do it live and you can't cut it then, to speak metaphorically, the cream will always rise to the top.

If the hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of pounds spent each year by governments to aid mega industries and corporations in an attempt to curb music piracy was spent elsewhere we would still have beautiful music all around us everywhere. Music is not about money, it is about love, beauty, truth and existence. Before money existed we had music, so I believe it will outlive money too and this debate will be dead along with it.


Do you think it helps or hinders the spread of your music?

Helps massively, if someone wants my music that much and they can find an outlet for getting hold of it for free, then fair play to them.


And how does music piracy impact on you as an artist?

It doesn't really, it's something that record labels have promoted as a negative and with their tools of propaganda and publicisation have put it on the agenda as a killer of music and creativity. It is completely the opposite, I remember when 12" records came in a sleeve that said "Home Taping is Killing Music", and even then I thought not, home taping, copying CDs for your mates and illegally downloading is killing the music "industry", get on with it, Spread The Love !