Paying musicians per download

Galen Hossack, the brainchild behind the idea, says, “I believe music should be shared, listened to, and enjoyed by everybody, but I hate seeing artists getting exploited and not earning a cent for their efforts.”

Companies sponsor downloads in exchange for advertising space on www.loadtheshow.com, which targets the lucrative and fickle youth market.

Punk rock bands, hip hop outfits and electronica artists, along with their fans, have been flocking to the website, according to Hossack. “Initially the artists thought there was some sort of catch, but as we started paying out the first artists, everybody wanted to join,” he says.