There will be many people that will like your music but not actually buy your releases. They won’t invest money into you when they see your music in the shop, and may even illegally download your CD. So these people are a complete waste of time right? Wrong!
While some of them can be, others can still help push your music forward. They may help you in other ways, like promoting your music to people they know. This can be via word of mouth, playing your music for others to hear, or turning up to your shows with a paid ticket and a bunch of their friends.
Who’s to say their friends or people they tell about you won’t buy your product and also promote your music?
While downloading of music isn’t ideal, it’s clearly here to stay. There’s no point complaining as there’s not much you can do about it. Instead, use it to your advantage and let these people promote your music.