I couldn’t quite fit this into a tweet - so I’m writing it here: If you use and like Spotify, then you should pay for it.

It’s undeniably weird even having to write those words. Go back in time a few years, and I doubt you’d have anyone up in arms at the concept of having to pay for a luxury service. I’m aware however, that times have changed. People don’t want to pay for music any more; music is free.

That’s not the problem, though. The problem is, we’ve all so quickly forgotten why it is that music became free.

When piracy becomes a huge problem - you’re no longer dealing with thieves. To classify such huge proportions of society as being criminals paints a dystopian picture that simply doesn’t exist. The disparity between consumption desire and available budget to spend on music certainly isn’t helpful - but it’s not the main reason music became free.

Artificially inflated costs are an insult, certainly - but there was clearly one reason consumers chose music piracy: Convenience. 

You can’t find the CD you’re looking for. They’ve got 800 copies of the new album of Blue - but you can’t find the CD you’re looking for. Alternatively - you can have it now. For free. In any file format you fancy. You’ve just saved yourself hours hunting down a copy, and 10 minutes ripping it onto your PC so you can put it on an MP3 player. Don’t like the album? Delete it.

Oh, and you’ve just saved yourself £15. That’s a pretty good bonus - especially if it turned out to be another NME-hyped piece of trash. It might not have been the best system, but the music industry was too busy licking its wounds to offer up anything that rivalled the convenience of piracy. Most attempts were ham-fisted, and far too late; for a lot of people, the damage was done. Music was free.

But here’s the twist. Free music became so commonplace, that everyone started to forget why it came to be. No longer a mere side effect of the music industry’s temporary failure to provide a viable solution to reasonable consumer demands, it became a permanent fixture. After years of rational justification to rooms filled with agreement, the sense of entitlement gradually became concrete. Why should we start paying for music now?

Spotify might be legal, but it certainly isn’t a perfect solution either; artists barely see any of the money involved, for starters. But you’re not paying for the music. Spend five or ten pounds a month for Spotify, and what you’re paying for is an incredible level of convenience. Instant access to a huge collection of music - whether you’re at home or on the move. You can share or collaborate playlists, recommend albums to friends, or check out similar artists, all with the click of button. 

I’m not here to argue that Spotify is the greatest service in the world, but it’s the first step in an exciting new direction. If we don’t fund it, it will die. If you’re a free user who’s decided to choose a return to piracy instead of a paid monthly fee, then that’s your decision.

But don’t fool yourself. Choose piracy this time, and you’re no longer simply choosing the better option; you’re simply choosing theft.