Maybe I'm stubborn but I just don't see downloading music as "stealing". What's the difference between that and recording a song off the radio like the old days? Or if someone buys a fake Rolex watch, is Rolex "losing money" because of it? Who's to say that person would buy a real Rolex anyway? Unless someone is downloading music then selling it for profit, I just don't see the problem. I think the music industy is scared because they can't bamboozle consumers into buying a whole CD just because it has a "hit" single anymore. Consumers are becoming more aware. Personally, I download a CD, listen at work for a few days, then decide if I'm going to buy it or not. I just like having the REAL CD for obvious reasons. 100% of the CD's I've bought in the last year, I've downloaded first. Probably half of them I woudn't have bought without sampling them first. Hell, in my case, the music industry is actually making more money because of Kazaa.
The problem I see with people complaining about not being able to hear the entire album before buying is this: many stores offer listening stations, where you can listen to parts - if not all - of an album before buying it. Also, sites like Bestbuy.com offer online clips from every song on many CDs. Each band's website generally offers something along those lines. Essentially, you'll know by going through one of those routes if you are going to like the CD or not. It's not like the old days, where radio was it and people passed taped CDs back and forth. Thrre's just a lot available that makes the whole "I don't buy the CD because I don't know if I'll like it without hearing everything first" argument rather outdated. Especially because many who use that argument say they do it and, if they like it, will buy the CD really don't end up buying the CD. No, not everyone falls into that group - but I'd be willing to bet the vast majority fall in there. Music may not be as good or as lasting as that in the past, but that doesn't mean that illegal activities are now legal.
Yeah, if you dont post at least 196..you will probably get flamed. The alt.binaries.sounds.mp3s.xxxx (where X is decades or styles) is where the good stuff is...high traffic and you can find damn near anything. I've explained how and why before, but it bears repeating... Basically, I download new stuff to decide if I am going to waste my hard earned cash on it..if it is good, I go buy it..if it aint..I delete. I also download obscure stuff that either isnt available on CD or is out of print. I have bought enough albums over the years to bury the RIAA, and some of them are not playable anymore or destroyed/stolen. Either way, I have paid them for the music and I dont see a problem with replacing it via the internet. mfclark...but some of us dont hav the time to stand in a record store and listen...it is just plain old more convienent to listen to it while I am doing other stuff at home. and last but not least...if it wasnt for Usenet..I would never of heard of some of the groups that I have bought albums from...I saw them posted and downloaded a sample to see if they were worthy..so, some bands have received my business because someone was nice wnough to rip it and post it for me to check out.
But that's why there's Internet listening stations on major websites, both commercial and from the bands themselves. That's something that can easily be done while you're doing many other things, and may even give you a better feeling for the music in listening to it in the environment you often would listen to it in if you bought the CD. As for new bands - Usenet and the underground, friends, etc are all good places to learn about bands. Heck, many of them offer up entire albums for free on their websites. In that case, it's legal. But these are the ones who need the money to support their music more than anyone. It's one thing to download a song or two, like the music, then buy the CD. But, the majority of people don't do that - even though they say they will. I'm not putting you into that latter group by any means, but its the people in that latter group who are the most prolific file sharers and have been the focal point of lawsuits and litigation.
I play guitar, most of my friends are fantastic musicians. All of which are on the underground scene and could use the money more than any legit studio produced major record label artist : and yet we all download music. Know why? because we love music and think it was meant to be shared. It was meant to be heard. It wasn't meant to be hyped up overpriced forced down your throat junk that is spoon fed by a person so far out of touch that they think spandex are cool. Yes, I do see the evil side of downloading. It will make more people take the music making aspect seriously. It will make music that is created through love of the art form as opposed to love of the money. It will make me happy!!!!!
they can't stop downloading. They can try and try again but suing some of your own customers will only backfire.
True, but most of the time.the songs are not complete, and they decide what they will offer up. Sometimes my favorite songs are the ones noone has ever heard of if they didnt buy the entire album. Im not real sure what you mean about environment.. Listening to songs downloaded is just like listening to it off the cd..exactly.. others..Im a bit old to have access to the underground and I am normally the one that turns on my friends to off-beat bands...mostly they arent even online and they depend on the radio or Mtv to introduce them to new bands..not very good options for them.. No argument there from me...I worked with local bands and national acts for a few years and I would really hate to see good bands not get their due. but..unfortunately...the music industry bigwigs have dug their own graves and are dragging the rest of the industry with them. The good bands that are out there dont get the support, and the ones that do arent worthy. I am really torn on this issue, if it wasnt for those that post the music, I would not be able to check out new stuff or replace my catalog like I described.. but those same people make it possible for people to avoid paying the bands for their hard work. Thats why I do buy the album if I like it...I wish all the others would also.
It pisses me off when I get my car broken into and all 120 of my cd's stolen and I can't even get a cop to come and take a look at it. Stupid Dallas. Yeah I say focus on real crime. It's a tough one though I mean, whats to keep people from just swapping real cd's burning them onto hard drive? Its basically the same thing just on the internet and with people you aren't friends with. I thought you just couldn't sell copies of things you had already bought. Does anybody know the law in regards to this?
Well put, NW. As a frequent "lurker" in the D&D, this could very well be the first time I've ever agreed with any of your posts. Now days, artists are "developed" to conform with the lastest fad. As soon as the fad is over, so is the artist. Record companies want to get in, cash in, and get out asap so they can move on to the next fad. Why are all these 70's acts still touring? Because their music meant something to their fans. It has a shelf life of more than a few months unlike todays pop music. Record companies want maximim profits with minimal development time. If U2's first album or The Police's first album were released today, they probably would have been dropped because of lukewarm record sales. The bottom line is if consumers are able to weed out the crappy music via downloading instead of buying, the record companies are screwed. I think that's why they're so worried...
I aint complaining... some great acts from the 70's and 80's are showing that their music did and still does mean something to their fans. As much as some people are ashamed to admit they liked 80's metal...the big acts from that era are still touring and making money. It's funny, back then there was only a few bands that came out that I didnt like...now there are only a few that come out that I do like. You have to sift thru lots of crap these days to find the gems.
You just proved me right. EDIT: You're not going to buy that music anyway. That kind of stuff is for the kids. I don't care if you download Britneys songs or whatever "pop act that is cool to hate"'s songs. And all that stuff is in fact, good product, production and polish-wise. That 15 dollars at most (if you're paying 17-20 bucks for CDs, its time to discover Best Buy) isn't going to imaginary record industry monsters. It's going to producers, towards equipment costs, studio costs, marketing and a ****load more of things I don't know about that Jeff probably could tell us.
The record companies are worried for the same reason you would be worried if you were in their position. You are in a business to make money, and you're not happy when people are taking your product for free. Taking something somebody worked hard on for free is also called stealing. You just can't do it, its not justifiable, its not a gray area. You can't just go to the store and take bites out of every single fruit just to see if you like it, or if its sweet. You buy that ****, and if you get a few sour oranges, then so be it. I also have to disagree with you on your artist development theory. Nobody gets developed around a fads, not at first anyway. What happens is there will be a breakout group, and then similar groups (who probably had been grinding it out in the club circuit for years,) will get recognition because of the breakout group before them. For example, the Strokes. They broke out with the Stripes, and then came the Hives, Vines, etc. Finally, if you have to weed out crappy music, do it by reading and researching. It's unfortunate how impatient everbody is in this day and age. Why do you have to instantly have everything? One of the best things about music is buying a CD not knowing if its good or not, and it feels even better when it turns out to be great. Sure there will be some bad ones, but thats the way it goes.
What if your tastes dont go in line with what others think? Ex: most of the time, if others think a movie sucks, I like it.. same with music...the kind of bands that I enjoy arent the ones that get reviewed by professional critics...and I dont take the word of a bunch of people online whos taste in music might not be in line with what I like. It's easy to say "Just buy it, and if it turns out good, then it's all good" if you have that kind of disposable income..I have to be picky about what I buy, since there are tons of other bills demanding payments from me. Thats the funny thing about having a wife, kids and a mortage... but I see and understand where you are coming from.. I just dont believe that your viewpoint can and should apply to everyone else. Contrary to your statement, there is a grey area when it comes to downloading music.. Just read my posts about what I download and how I treat it after I do...I am not hurting anyone or keeping any bands from getting theirs by trying before I buy...and I do buy or delete..
Apparently, YOU'VE never been to Barnes and Noble, where you can listen to ANY track from ANY CD (or is that only here in NYC?). Isn't that the same thing as "taking a bite out of every single fruit"? Are record companies complaining about B&N's music sales tactics? Nope. To me, downloading a song and going to B&N and listening to a song is virtually the same thing, except one involves getting my ass out of the chair and walking over to the store. I download songs to test them out. If I like, then I buy (quality is better, anyway). Just last week, I downloaded half of the soundtrack to Finding Nemo, decided it was pretty good, and BOUGHT the CD. Likewise, I downloaded Radiohead's "Hail to the Thief," thought it sucked compared to previous Radiohead albums (techno? huh?), and decided NOT to buy it (and popped in OK Computer for nostalgic reasons). Some of us don't have the disposable income to just buy CDs on a whim whenever we feel like it. Besides, this is not gambling. If I'm going to spend money, I want to know I'm not wasting it. I have a huge stack of CDs I bought that ended up sucking total ass (bought before the advent of internet, of course). How I wish I could have that money back. Previewing a CD has helped me tremendously...
The vast majority of what gets released is pure sh*t. Over the weekend I d/l-ed Norah Jones, and Evanescence. I liked the big single Norah Jones had (Don't Know Why)and saw a lot of potential for the rest of the CD. After several listens, the full CDs sounds very the same-ish, albeit with a very cool jazz vibe. If I would bought it full price, I would have been disappointed. The Evanescence is a real surprise. I do not listen to the radio so I have not heard any of their songs. I have read a lot of good reviews and some mixed reviews on the net. I have a friend who bought it and said it was only ok. I was thinking about borrowing the friend's CD to check it out myself (try before you buy). After listening to the full CD via mp3s this weekend, I like it a lot and will buy it in the near future. Thus, the results for this weekend download "orgy" were that I found one CD that I thought I would really like which did not live up to expectations and that I found one CD that I would not have purchased which I will now. Without the internet, I would have bought one CD that underwhelmed me and missed out on one one CD that I would have really liked. One could argue that I would hava gotten the same results by listening in a store before buying. Making a trip to a store and spending a hour or two listening to CDs is way more inconvenient than listening to mp3s at home, when I can. This is especially the case since I have a 9 month baby that keeps me very busy The record companies should really come to grips with the fact that the customer is always right. Yeah, right.
No, but if it tastes like **** then they have no problem taking it back and giving me something else. At least in my experience they do.
