Some of the world's top female singers have told Sky News they disagreee with Lily Allen's call to crack down on illegal file-sharers.
Shakira, Norah Jones and Nelly Furtado have added their weight to the ongoing crisis in the music industry about whether or not fans should be able to listen to music for free.
When asked about Allen's recent outburst on the subject Shakira insisted she embraced the inevitable sharing of her songs.
"I like what's going on because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music," she explained.
"It's the democratisation of music in a way, and music is a gift. That's what it should be, a gift."
Songwriter Norah Jones agreed she was less concerned about illegal downloads than others but conceded she was in a better place than some smaller artists might be.
Allen opposes illegal downloading
"If people hear it I'm happy. I'm not going to say go and steal my album, but you know I think its great that young people who don't have a lot of money can listen to music and be exposed to new things," she said.
"But I also understand it's not ideal for the record industry, and a lot of young artists who won't make any music off their album sales, but at least they can tour."
While it seems unlikely that the star's record companies would agree, many top-selling artists are clearly in a much stronger financial position.
Indeed Allen's recent blogs on the subject voiced her concern for younger bands, struggling to make ends meet - although Nelly Furtado believes dedication will always win through.
"If you love music you're going to make it anyway," she told Sky News.
"You'll find an audience, and you may not make like millions of dollars but you'll make enough to have a house and a family and a car. I don't know though, maybe the clock is ticking."
The fresh arguments have appeared at a time when the Government - led by business secretary Lord Mandelson - are toying with the idea of punishing persistent filesharers by terminating their broadband connections.
Recent figures suggest that only one in 20 downloads were legal last year.
There is also a question mark hanging over exactly how to encourage music fans to pay for songs that they are fast believing they are entitled to for free.
Ad-funded streaming sites such as Spotify are struggling to convince users to fork out the extra cash to subscribe, while pay-per-song sites such as Apple's iTunes face constant accusation that they are overcharging for the songs they sell.
A recent poll suggested that more than almost two-thirds of illegal downloaders would consider paying for tracks, but only if they were cheaper.
It comes as Sky has launched a new digital music service with over four million tracks to download.
The Sky Songs site
Customers can choose from a range of Sky Songs packages from £6.49 a month.
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Shakira, Norah Jones and Nelly Furtado have added their weight to the ongoing crisis in the music industry about whether or not fans should be able to listen to music for free.
When asked about Allen's recent outburst on the subject Shakira insisted she embraced the inevitable sharing of her songs.
"I like what's going on because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music," she explained.
"It's the democratisation of music in a way, and music is a gift. That's what it should be, a gift."
Songwriter Norah Jones agreed she was less concerned about illegal downloads than others but conceded she was in a better place than some smaller artists might be.
Allen opposes illegal downloading
"If people hear it I'm happy. I'm not going to say go and steal my album, but you know I think its great that young people who don't have a lot of money can listen to music and be exposed to new things," she said.
"But I also understand it's not ideal for the record industry, and a lot of young artists who won't make any music off their album sales, but at least they can tour."
While it seems unlikely that the star's record companies would agree, many top-selling artists are clearly in a much stronger financial position.
Indeed Allen's recent blogs on the subject voiced her concern for younger bands, struggling to make ends meet - although Nelly Furtado believes dedication will always win through.
"If you love music you're going to make it anyway," she told Sky News.
"You'll find an audience, and you may not make like millions of dollars but you'll make enough to have a house and a family and a car. I don't know though, maybe the clock is ticking."
The fresh arguments have appeared at a time when the Government - led by business secretary Lord Mandelson - are toying with the idea of punishing persistent filesharers by terminating their broadband connections.
Recent figures suggest that only one in 20 downloads were legal last year.
There is also a question mark hanging over exactly how to encourage music fans to pay for songs that they are fast believing they are entitled to for free.
Ad-funded streaming sites such as Spotify are struggling to convince users to fork out the extra cash to subscribe, while pay-per-song sites such as Apple's iTunes face constant accusation that they are overcharging for the songs they sell.
A recent poll suggested that more than almost two-thirds of illegal downloaders would consider paying for tracks, but only if they were cheaper.
It comes as Sky has launched a new digital music service with over four million tracks to download.
The Sky Songs site
Customers can choose from a range of Sky Songs packages from £6.49 a month.
-