Politics & Power Quote by Hilary Rosen

“Music has an intrinsic value” is the kind of line that tries to sound like a moral truth while doing the practical work of an industry pitch. Hilary Rosen came up through the recording business at a moment when “value” was being contested in real time: first by CDs and consolidation, later by piracy and streaming. In that context, calling music “intrinsic” isn’t philosophy; it’s a claim-stake. It frames music as something that can’t be reduced to a commodity even as the sentence quietly argues for more consumption.

The phrase “touches Americans” is doing cultural lobbying. It narrows a universal art form into a national constituency, the way companies talk when they’re building political leverage: protect this, subsidize this, regulate that, because it’s part of who we are. That little move also dodges harder questions about access and gatekeeping. Who counts as “Americans” here: fans, voters, consumers, or the people whose labor gets turned into product?

Then comes the neat pivot: “they love their music, and want more.” Love becomes demand. Desire becomes justification. It’s an argument that makes listeners sound bottomless and insatiable, which is convenient if you’re defending aggressive distribution, tighter copyright enforcement, or higher licensing fees. Rosen’s intent reads as reassuring and pro-fan, but the subtext is pro-market: if music is inherently valuable, then payment systems should treat it that way. The sentence flatters the audience while laying groundwork for a business model that asks them, always, to keep buying.