Why do we do it?

Ha! Good question! I guess everybody will have a different take on this. Personally I am part of a group of three where all three of us work and have satisfactory daytime jobs with reasonable paychecks (just about!) and the music for us is just a way of being creative together and having fun. None of us is a virtuoso, we're all just self-taught musicians with a few ideas, a bit of left-over energy when work and family have been seen to, and a great desire to just be a little part of the wonderful world of music. Our greatest satisfaction comes from seeing our music downloaded and listened to and getting some occasional positive feedback. Somehow money just doesn't seem to come into the equation. We did have our first CD "Keep on Walking" for sale at Artistlaunch and CDbaby and consequent paid digital downloads and we sold some (not many), but when the second CD, "Copernico Incantato", was ready we just kind of looked at each other and said "No" this one's got to be free for all. Since that decision I have cancelled "Keep on Walking" as a paid CD and hopefully it will soon be available here as free downloads (it is currently "locked").

Anonimix

Keep On Walking
Copernico Incantato

I guess in a way you are right there about the process of creation. I think in a way they are perhaps two different moments that bring different kinds of satisfaction perhaps. The process of creation is perhaps the most internally satisfying moment whereas seeing your music being appreciated somehow gives "body to the dream". It's the age-old question of whether there is any point in being creative in music and the arts if you don't then share your results with the world....

Been an arty chick since childhood and it's still the life occupation that gives me the greatest and deepest reward at 45.

I bloody wish I was able to make a living out of my artistic endeavours - I have had some income from it and other related activities (like teaching, reviewing, directing short films and arts admin) during my life - but not enough to properly live on in an ongoing way.

The truth is I've never been able to deal with the insane stress, confusion, soul subjugation, dishonesty and losing sight of what it meant to you in the first place that seems to be par for the course with anything artistically commercial.

So, whilst not ruling out some miraculous benefaction arriving from out of the blue at some belated blessed moment, I have basically put the pursuit of anything money-related with the arts on the back burner and seem to a lot happier for it on the whole too (except for those moments when I particularly hate my rent job and feel kinda tortured, lol - damn being such a cliche!).

I've also instinctively been radical in my general politics for a very long time, have always been a bit of an anarchist in my philosophies and believe more in art as something real people do - that means a lot more to me than twinkling artistic stars on some distant pedestal.

As to why my music is available for free download, I like the idea of the world's artistic culture being freely available to all, regardless of economic circumstance. Art is for sharing and I don't want to exclude anyone from whatever it is I might be able to give :)

Who know me know that my english is very bad and I have some difficult in to face a serious discussion in this language so ... you all are alerted ;-)

In someway I agree with all the things said above.
I'm not a professional musician ... for to be honest I don't consider me as a musician (too long to explain it), so I can call me an artist (note the the lower case 'a'). I don't consider music as an hobby, yes it isn't my job but it's just part of myself, one of the many things that I call 'Me'. I'm sure that it's the same also for the people that said here "it's just an hobby".
Art it's not for ourself, art must be shared, it must be used. To make art have two different parts, the pleasure of to make it and the pleasure of to see the pleasure of other people that see/listen/use it. Probably the two parts can give different satisfaction, but I think that they are inseparable, at least for the larger part of the artist.
I agree with Pixie, to be a not pro artist means to be free from the rule of a job. I'm happy of to have the possibility of to make my choices without a producer that say 'you MUST do that' ... probably he is right because if he is a good producer he know that right way for to do a good job, but for me it's better to know that I can do the things in my way.
Now, for to be more close to the topic:
Do I have another choice for to be listened without to make my music free???
I think no. So, simply, I MUST have my music for free ;-).
This don't means that is a sacrifice, just I think that this is the only way for to satisfy the second part, that said above, of to make art.

... obviously, this is just an opinion and it's valid just for myself. I understand that it can be also a an ideological choice, that have all my respect (I like it), but, for to be honest, just now this isn't my reason.