The music industry has been on a steady decline for years now. If you stopped a random stranger on the street and asked him or her if they still buy albums, they would probably laugh in your face; they probably don’t even buy singles on iTunes anymore.

Let’s be honest, aside from your favorite artists, you probably rarely purchase music — it seems it’s just out of style — and unless you’re a music geek, you couldn’t care less about the music industry. For most people, it’s all about instant gratification and oversaturation.

The current generation lives off the Internet. Why bother paying for music when an artists’ entire discography is ready to download in 10 minutes? It’s a sad reality, but it is a hard one to argue with, considering the way the economy has treated us.

Recently, it has become the norm to obtain records not only for free, but weeks ahead of their normal street date.

Just last week, close to a dozen major releases were leaked online. Albums from artists such as The National, The Black Keys, Crystal Castles, The Hold Steady, Band Of Horses, Minus The Bear and The New Pornographers were all leaked last weekend.

For some, it was a few weeks ahead of their intended release date. For others, such as Crystal Castles, it was a staggering two months ahead.

Record labels have been scrambling to find ways to combat this problem, trying desperately to find a solution. They often stream the album on the band’s website, trying to at least make sure fans hear the album in the finest quality. They often push the release date up in order to try to salvage some sales.

One of the more recent debates in the music industry is whether music leaks help artists, or if they hurt them.

When an album leaks, music blogs have a frenzy and post about it. This creates hype, which allows thousands of people to hear the album — creating excitement that may not have come otherwise. This whole thing is illegal, but it is actually the simplest form of promotion out there.

The buzz created by album leaks have allowed people to discover artists that they wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Bands like Vampire Weekend, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Grizzly Bear are where they are because of the Internet and the power of word of mouth.

There are always some fans that go on to buy the album out of dedication, some who buy tickets to see the band live and others who buy merchandise online. Although the bands aren’t selling CDs through these leaks, in a way they are still profiting.

This buzz may not result in album sales, but it goes toward ticket and merchandise sales, which usually go straight to the artists. Remember, most record labels are the ones who benefit from album sales. So, if anything, the only ones who are truly hurting are major labels.

Musicians will find new ways to survive. In 2007, UK band Radiohead released its album “In Rainbows” and allowed fans to download its CD for as much, or as little, as they wanted. According to Rolling Stone reports, while many did download the album for free, the total sales were more than any of the band’s other six albums. It proved that people will still buy music; you just need to find the right approach.