The December 20, 1907 NYT has a letter to the editor, penned by one Thomas K. Henderson of the General Music Supply Company of New York, addressing some of the concerns on the part of music composers about so-called "canned" versions of their works, which were being played on so-called "player pianos" and the like:

So far as the alleged decline in the sale of sheet music is concerned, I am assured by the best authorities that composers who write anything of merit are finding a ready sale for their works, and that if there is any decrease it is in the case of those who persist in flooding the country with the veriest trash. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the American taste is becoming more cultivated through the use of the player-piano, which makes easy the playing of the music that is worth while - the music of the old masters, that will live forever.

there is a greater demand now than ever before for good music in sheet form, and if this were not the case manufacturers of player-pianos would immediately proceed to save thousands of dollars annually by abolishing the keyboard entirely and turning out an instrument that would be an automaton pure and simple.

The last paragraph proved prophetic. As for the first paragraph, one wonders if there is a similar argument for much of today's "music."