This topic is of great interest to me. Thank you for addressing it here.

I think what most people don’t get, and should, is that NOTHING IS FREE! Whether it’s pricier tickets for live performances, or over-priced merchandise, we’re going to have to pay in one form or another. However, the ultimate price is at the expense of the art form itself; “artists” are being replaced by “brands,” and music is being subsidized by perfume. Hey, maybe the government can impose an “art” tax on products made by crappy artists to compensate the really good ones. :)