Popular artists traditionally look for ways to profit from their music. Most artists focus on copyrighting their music and distributing it through record labels. These labels sell the artists' music so that the artist and the company can both profit. In an age where illegal downloading is prevalent, companies and artists have tried to protect their copyrights and their profits through lawsuits and widespread campaigns. An intricate association between money and music seems prevalent.
The internet mixtape phenomenon is unique because it breaks this traditional concept of prominent musicians protecting and selling their music. Artists who have sold millions of albums have began to produce music in the form of mixtapes for widespread release free of charge. These popular artists often take beats from other popular songs and create their own lyrics that give the song a completely new sound.
These free mixtapes have popularized the artists that create them. In an age where people are afraid of the reprecussions of illegally downloading, people have appreciated that they can download this music with peace of mind. Even if the beats are not original, the artists can show their musical ability through the clever lyrical approaches they take to the songs. People also appreciate the artists' commitment to their fans and their music that is demonstrated through the free release of this music.
