In your example, the illegal cash is mixed in with legit album sales. Whether you actually buy your own album or simply claim that extra albums were sold is bes

In your example, the illegal cash is mixed in with legit album sales. Whether you actually buy your own album or simply claim that extra albums were sold is besides the point. Buying an album isn't illegal, but concealing the origin of illegally obtained funds by passing them through a legitimate business is. Driving a car isn't illegal, but running a red light is; the fact that you were legally driving a car doesn't mean you aren't breaking another law in the process. The fact that you are legally buying an album doesn't mean you aren't money laundering in the process.