It’s funny how the music industry is enraged about the Internet and the way things are copied without being paid for. But you know why people steal the music? Because they can’t afford the music.

Petty frames online copying not simply as moral failure but as an economic symptom: when music is priced beyond what many listeners can pay, piracy becomes a predictable substitute. The remark also critiques the industry’s tendency to focus outrage on technology (the Internet) rather than on access, affordability, and the value proposition offered to fans. Implicitly, he suggests that sustainable solutions lie in adapting business models—pricing, distribution, and convenience—so that paying is easier than stealing. The quote captures a transitional moment in popular music when digital distribution disrupted traditional revenue streams and forced artists and labels to rethink how music should be sold.