On one hand:
I partially agree wit opey that artists should be content with the money they make off of touring, and any artist who isn't happy making $100,000 a year doesn't deserve fans.

I also agree that CD's are too expensive to buy through physical distribution because most people don't care to pay for the packaging, shipping, and inventory cost associated with the physical product.

On the other hand:
I don't think it's fair to say that the record companies, brutal as they are, do not deserve to make revenue from their artists. Without record companies many unknown artists would not have gotten their first break. The record company takes a chance by producing the first album, and many of them bomb.

Also, while the revenues from tours make artists a healthy income....they do not pay for the studio time, editors, studio mucisians, mastering technitions, etc. that are needed to make a high quality commercial CD. Maybe most would be happy paying less for music even if it was lesser quality but if you want the highest sound quality and production techniques then the record company has to make money to pay for it.

If you don't want to buy an entire album plenty of new internet services are popping up where you can buy one song at a time and these services will only get better on both price and ease of use in the future.

all in all:
If i said I bought all my music then i would be lying. But if the record companies put forth a reasonable distribution system that covers high quality productions costs, gives some revenues to the artists, and allows for some profits necessary for signing new talent i won't mind paying the cost.

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