Who is affected by electronic theft of a song?

A. Just the singer.
B. Just the songwriter.
C. Only the record company.
D. Songwriters, artists, record company, producers, and ultimately the consumer.

D. Songwriters, artists, record company, producers, and ultimately the consumer.

D. Songwriters, artists, record company, producers, and ultimately the consumer.

The correct answer is D. Songwriters, artists, record company, producers, and ultimately the consumer are all affected by electronic theft of a song. Let's break it down:

Songwriters: When a song is illegally downloaded or shared without permission, songwriters are deprived of the royalties they should have earned from the sale or streaming of their work.

Artists: Artists, including singers and musicians, often have contracts with record labels that give them a share of the revenue generated by their music. When their songs are pirated, they lose out on potential earnings.

Record company: Record labels invest significant time, money, and resources in discovering and promoting talented artists. When their copyrighted music is illegally obtained, the record company suffers financial losses.

Producers: Producers play a crucial role in the creation and production of music. If their work is pirated, they lose the opportunity to earn income and recoup the expenses incurred during the production process.

Consumer: Although consumers might not be directly involved in the creation of music, they are still impacted by electronic theft. When piracy becomes prevalent, artists may be deterred from creating new music, leading to a decline in the availability of new content for consumers to enjoy.

To summarize, electronic theft of a song affects multiple parties involved in the music industry, ranging from songwriters and artists to record companies, producers, and ultimately the consumers themselves.