NPR this morning broadcast this piece (audio link) about artistShare, which the reporter described as being part of a new “patronage” movement.
Brian Camelio, the company’s CEO, traced the company’s origins to his conversations with musician friends. They were afraid that consumers would download their music without paying for it. Camelio thought: You shouldn’t be concerned that fans are downloading. You should be concerned if they’re not downloading.
In other news, the RIAA is now targeting eDonkey users.