As a musician, I can say there are many different types of musicians. Some want the money, some just want to perform, and some just want to write music. Now, the performers and the writers will always make enough money. Live shows and writer's credits + royalties add up to a lot, even with the downloaded songs. I think it's somewhere around 25 cents an album and 13 cents an individual song with most record deals. Those that want the money, the lifestyle, and the trappings of fame are going to bitch about how they're being stolen from (see: Lars Ulrich). Others will feel they are being stolen from.
In my opinion, if my songs were downloaded at high rates, I'd be stoked. That means people like my music and it's representative of good taste/ability (provided you are not of corporate backing and all that shill).
