I have done it.  I have figured out how to keep artist’s intellectual property theirs after somebody fools themselves into buying their recordings for future enjoyment.  For decades this problem has been destroying the most influential and essential industry in the world.  Starting way back when radio listeners could record onto a cassette tape from a well cranked radio or make a mixed tape of their favorite tracks on an album.  Now you can simply click a few times in the right places and that song is yours forever at no monetary cost to you whatsoever.  But now I have found a way to prevent that from happening again.

Once a person pays for a CD or a digital copy of a song.  The song is then linked to their account and that account is charged for each time that song is played.  The money charged goes to the artist and record label and ensures that people do not illegally share that music, or if they do they are fully accepting of any charges for song plays the other peer makes.

This can also create a “quality control” of music.  Only the best artists would be able to sell their music because each song play is more money rolling into their pockets.  This can be an invisible hand that guides consumers to only play songs that they like.  The songs that are played the most would then cost more for each play.  Assuming that a consumer will continue to listen the song worth $5 a play as opposed to listening to three songs that cost $1, the companies would continue to gain more money.

It’s my assumption that most music listeners would rather pay later for a song instead of right there at the moment.  That is why I also propose credit companies serve those consumers by giving them an option to go with a month to month payment plan that has a changeable interest rate.

It’s as simple as that.  We save both the economy and the music industry.