Illegal Music Downloading

Tattoo'd Lady · 01-30-2010, 02:25 PM

Illegal downloading has impacted the music industry in a huge way. Some music lovers believe its a great trend while others absolutely despise it. What are your thoughts and practices on illegal downloading?

flipflop · 01-30-2010, 02:26 PM

Illegal downloading is stealing and it's hurting the artists.

**Magic** · 01-30-2010, 02:33 PM

I have some thoughts on this issue, and my position on the issue has changed drastically over the past year or so. I will post my thoughts after a few more people post in this thread.

I am neutral, btw. Not for it or against it.

Oblivion · 01-30-2010, 03:07 PM

I buy albums when the artist needs a little support but most of my music is downloaded (peer to peer) and not bought. As a student I can't afford to be against downloading...

Dave78 · 01-30-2010, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by flipflop

Illegal downloading is stealing and it's hurting the artists.

Of course the illegal downloading of MP3's takes money out of the artists pockets, but I'd guess that (based on the language of a typical recording contract) illegal downloading takes MORE money out of the pockets of record executives. I think that's why record companies fight this issue so vehemently, and that's why part of me has no sympathy for the situation. Rightfully so or not, they seemingly spend a dollar trying to recover every nickel lost to illegal downloading. But what about the artist? In the olden days groups would get a percentage of album sales, but what about today's secondary market? Who is going after all these sellers on Ebay or Amazon for any royalties due an artist for selling their used cds? And who is policing the local libraries making sure you don't take one of their cds home and burn a copy for yourself? And how do you keep track of people using the "friends and family" network of music sharing?

Ten years ago when Napster was all the rage I would occasionally download a song here and there, but with long download times, often incorrect song information and lack of variety it was often more trouble than it was worth for me. Today I use iTunes and I am happy to get clean versions of songs which are plainly identified and download in seconds, not tens of minutes. And the fact that something goes towards the artist from Apple's iTunes gives me a warm feeling that in some small way I am helping bands and artists from the 70's like Chuck Negron and Three Dog Night with a revenue stream.

**METALPRIEST** · 01-30-2010, 03:42 PM

Something I don't have to worry about. I'm an avid collector, I prefer hard copies, own almost 5,000 discs (not including movies) and have a very nice display setting for all of them in my home.

It's gonna be a great collection of music to pass down and will to my kids (who will be in posession of it and love alot of it already) by the time my time is up here.

That 70s Guy · 01-30-2010, 03:54 PM

If I can't find it in stores.........I download it.

**eberg15101** · 01-30-2010, 04:05 PM

I have a lot of illegally downloaded music, and I will continue to download... I prefer hard copies, but I'm not paying 9.99 for and 8 song cd, and if I buy them used on Amazon it's no benefit to the companies or artists...so I might as well save myself the money that isn't going to help anyone besides the seller

With the internet and ease there is no way to avoid downloading and illegal sharing, I think the record companies need to come up with a new way to sell and market because there is no way around the downloading

Mr. Shadow · 01-30-2010, 04:51 PM

I think the industry's biggest concern is the newer music, which I don't care for. As a fan of Classic Rock and Blues I have spent tens of thousands on it. But the majority of that has been used purchases. I download lots of stuff. Most of the concerts are not copyrighted materials. I have no problem getting digital copies of music previously or currently owned in another format. Most of what I am snagging is not available for purchace otherwise. The more I'm exposed to the more likely I am to buy something from that artist later. Some days I may grab one or two albums. Other days it might be close th forty.

How do I put money into Jimi Hendix's hand, Or Janis or Jim Morrison, or the other deceased Rock greats? I'm not interesting in padding an agents pocket or that of some fat cat that doesn't even listen to the music they control. Until the economy crashed I was spending over $100 a month on music. I still maintain a 50 song per month account with emusic. They almost doubled in cost last year, but did so in order to add the Sony catalog.

Make music affordable and people will buy it. Prohibition has never worked.

**Magic** · 01-30-2010, 05:43 PM

Here is my philosophy.......I have supported the music industry for over 35 years now. I have supported numerous musicians over the years by attending concerts, some musicians I have seen numerous times. I purchased over 350 vinyl albums, 2 boxes of 45's, about 100 or so 8 track tapes, approx. 200 cassetts, and I still continue to buy CD's.

I feel absolutely no guilt what-so-ever downloading and replacing my old vinyl collection or any other music I have already purchased.

I will download a new artist's music, which usually isn't in the best music format to begin with, to sample the music. If I like the music, I will buy the CD, which is recorded in the best format.

Tattoo'd Lady · 01-30-2010, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by METALPRIEST

Something I don't have to worry about. I'm an avid collector, I prefer hard copies, own almost 5,000 discs (not including movies) and have a very nice display setting for all of them in my home.

It's gonna be a great collection of music to pass down and will to my kids (who will be in posession of it and love alot of it already) by the time my time is up here.

so you don't have an opinion on this issue at all?

Tattoo'd Lady · 01-30-2010, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by eberg15101

I have a lot of illegally downloaded music, and I will continue to download... I prefer hard copies, but I'm not paying 9.99 for and 8 song cd, and if I buy them used on Amazon it's no benefit to the companies or artists...so I might as well save myself the money that isn't going to help anyone besides the seller

great point! so many of us here buy music from used music shops yet this money doesn't go to the record company either. it just benefits the store. so why is this practice so much more glorified than downloading?

**Lord Grendel** · 01-30-2010, 06:24 PM

Dave78 has expressed my point of view, the record companies are Still shafting the artists today. The percentage of revenue from the sale of a CD is about 12% for the artist, plus they lose creative license over their own creation, which becomes the property of the label.

Until these draconian business practices change I will view the whole subject of downloading as a last gasp to hold onto the archaic business model of two decades ago. The times have changed and now it's the industries ideology that must change to keep up. Give the artists at least 50% of the revenue, plus ownership of their music after one or two years, that seems fair to me.

After all take away the musicians and what does a record company have??

And musicians have existed for Centuries without any record company, they Create the music we love out of their own hearts and minds.

Magic also touched on my philosophy and I would add that I would send any friend a HQ copy of an OOP album, it is a great way to keep old rare bands and records alive seeing many have never been released on CD.

CP/M User · 01-30-2010, 06:45 PM

From my perspective having music on YouTube wouldn't hurt because the Quality of it isn't up to the same standards of a CD. From a Singles point of view it might be damaging if there's good quality songs on YouTube which would complete the songs covered on Singles - in that situation in the past Singles were the appetisers and if you liked the songs from the Single, then one can go and get the album. However it doesn't necessarily work like that - as I remember my Dad getting a Single album for The Moody Blues which was a promo appetiser to their album "Keys to the Kingdom". There were some other good songs from that album which weren't in the Single, but there was also some sub-standard stuff on it which he wasn't terribly impressed with - so it's a bit of a hit and miss when it comes to singles anyway. With all the possibilities of the Internet now it would seem great to have samples of music for groups for people to enjoy and the more aware of what is out there can only lead to sales of their albums! My last purchase was all based on music I checked out on the Internet - after I heard the band play one of their songs on the radio - and I wasn't disappointed at all by that choice.

However playing songs on YouTube is perhaps different from Downloading it, as with anything on the Internet anything which is viewed is usually temporarly downloaded onto your computer, though perhaps where it becomes naughty is when you can get Software which allows you to Download stuff off YouTube and the likes.

**Lord Grendel** · 01-30-2010, 06:56 PM

I would never download a song from Youtube, the quality sucks for one thing more times than not.

I will also add I am not a fan of what i-tunes has done and is doing to complete albums, now more than ever before it's all about that one big hit single, I am a product of the AOR days of FM radio, to me most of the time the best songs are never the hit songs off records I love.