complain all you want about "greedy capitalists", but just keep in mind that without companies looking for profits, we'd be lucky to have 8088 cpu's with a 300 baud modem. p2p wouldn't work so well under that circumstance...

here's a thought, though.. for the majority of history, music has been performed live. whether it be at a spiritual ceremony, a concert hall during the renassiance, the songs sung by slaves in the 1800s, or any other time music existed prior to the invention and popularization of the phonograph and derivitives.

the "music industry" is a relatively new concept.

i believe that eventually, we'll return to that historical trend. cd's (or whatever format is popular) will gradually become akin to promotional flyers for live concerts, and the concerts will most likely be the prime source of revenue.