Last Updated: 17th February 2023
GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 341
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people think that illegal Internet downloads are having a negative effect on the music industry. Others feel that they have little or no impact on artists.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
It is opined by some that illicit music downloads from the Internet create an adverse impact on the music industry, while others feel that they cause little or no effect on the singers. I believe that while it opens up a great opportunity for musicians to gain fame, it reduces revenue and hamper career growth.
Some argue that downloading musical data online illegally does not hurt musicians. This is because the Internet has provided a singer with the golden opportunity to market their songs to more audiences at a faster pace. In consequence, artists can shoot to stardom and fans become very eager to see their favourite singers play live. Eventually, they can earn money. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, for instance, the ticket prices of live shows have been constantly increasing, providing a huge income stream for performers.
Others say that illegal downloading is damaging the music sector. Singers and artists, in simple words, earn money by selling their music and albums. Therefore, if people download them illegally, they reap no profit from them. As a significant number of people steadily download music illicitly, instead of paying for them, it significantly cut into the sales of music albums. For example, British Phonographic Industry sheds light on the fact that 8.5 million people enjoy pirated music which costs the industry almost ten million pounds a year. Thus, illegal downloading severely damages businesses, which will eventually lead many record companies to bankruptcy. That means it will also shrink job opportunities for music producers, songwriters, artists, sound engineers and so on. For these reasons, I think that illegal music downloads have a catastrophic effect on the music industry.
In conclusion, even though some people believe that downloading pirated music has a negligible effect on the music sector, this essay finds that the industry is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy as illegal music downloads cost the sector billions of pounds in lost revenue, thus shrinking employment opportunities for people in this sector.