Your opinions on music piracy.

[Ash]

This is something I have been struggling with for a while. This is the best and the worst thing that could happen to the music industry.

Personally, I think people that steal music and/or don't pay for it should be punished. Have I participated in this? Yes. Hypocritical? Absolutely.

I love it when someone hands me a cd/tracks they downloaded before it's been released or without the artists permission or knowledge. But, I know I would hate it if I was losing thousands or millions of dollars every year because people feel that music should be free in all regards.


In turmoil.

If i made a CD I would love to have people burn it or do whatever. This gets you publicity with a lot of people and if you are someone unheard of it will get passed along. Yes they lose some money but not as much compared to total sales. Plus the money lost makes up when you play live.

so no i dont think people should be punished.

Yeah I guess in a way its wrong, but shit....if thats wrong...I dont want to be right! Free music is what Im all about and if they are down than so am I!!!



T

Free music! That's what I'm screaming.

[tekloid]

i have about 20 gigs of pirated mp3's i've downloaded over the years and i think i may have bought 5-10 after hearing the mp3(usually for sampling quality and not artistic) i really do feel bad growing up without this piracy and now feeling like i'm a big part of the problem. i really only feel this way towards the big business cd makers. as far as the dance scenes go, I think it is just an amazing marketing tool. you actually need vynl to be a dj and mix tunes, so if you hear a mp3 you like you will probably buy it. I have seen many dance/vynl artists bitch about having mp3's ripped of their new tunes and i think they are twats! it usually plays out like this: they have made a typical half assed shit tune and expect you to buy it based on 1.) their name/label/previous tune they had done secretly by a REAL producer 2.)based on the art work 3.)think that their AMAZING tune may be released to cd -- i doubt it!

With all these cd turntables coming out I could change my mind in a minute about piracy regarding the dance scenes.

I look at it like this.

Alot but not all of the songs I downloaded when Napster first hit the scene were songs that I wouldnt have actually gone out to buy. I was already spending an arm and a leg to on vinyl and therefore gave up on buying cds like I had been before.

Another thing - I would be looking thru a magazine and a certain song would be mentioned or I would be looking thru tracklistings and hearing good reviews about certain tracks I would first go to Napster and download the song...check it out and If I really liked it then guess what? I would go out and make an effort to go out and own the track. The artist therefore benefited from the fact that I dl'd his track.

Alot of what is happening right now the record companies are to blame for. They are the ones charging extortionate prices. They are the ones putting out the crazy million dollar videos. They are the ones with execs comprising 1/2 of the highest paid execs being mentioned in Forbes yearly. These companies robbed people for too long and are now scrambling to try and keep the dam from busting.

This is all in a way taking power from these faceless behemoths who are really the ones crushing the little guy. How much good music have we been deprived of all because a big company bought out a smaller company or got into a dispute with a up and coming artist and pretty much gobbled them in court and forever locked away their masters.

There are finer details we should be looking at in order to consider the argument involving piracy. Facts which go further more into detail rather than just saying - "Starving artists"

Besides I seriously doubt these already large companies are going to experience financial fallout. Theyre looking at ways to maybe work with the file sharing community. You think they really want to work with us or they want to still continue to make the same amount of money? Either way someone out there is going to be making money.

[Ash]

Good response Blame.

piracy to me is not nearly a big of deal as everyone makes it out to be. yes, there are some people who will only burn mp3 cds and never buy anything else. but then there's people like me, and blame, who download a track that they're heard about, and if they like it, go and buy the cd/vinyl. all together i own over 350 cds and vinyl (mostly cds), none of which are burned copies. is it expensive? yes. especially since they keep jacking up the prices of buying a cd.

i also agree with blame about the music industry being at fault. mp3 sharing programs will NEVER go away. so jacking up the prices of buying music will just make piracy worse. it's not the pirates that are doing the industry so much harm, it's the companies themselves.

[Element4040]

I couldn't agree more with Blame.

[TranceLVR]

I have downloaded hundreds of MP3's. But guess what? I also own over a thousand CD's. No Filesharing does not make me spend any less on music. And to be honest, the people that seem to be complaining about "losing money" seem to be mostly the people who have more of it than they could spend in their lifetime. Just because I get free MP3's. Doesn't mean that I won't go see concerts, shows, live DJ's, buy t-shirts. And seriously, if albums didn't cost so damn much, I would buy more than I do already. People like Eminem, make more money off of one song than I make in a year. I work just as hard or harder for my money than he does but he wants me to spend $18 on his album? Not to mention, CD's get scratched way too easy, I can't even count the albums that I have bought 3,4, and even 5 times.
Shit, if that album cost $18, I just spent $90 to buy it 5 times.
So no, I don't think people should be punished.

[hepkatmama]

when my bf moves out i hope i get to keep the pirated stuff. he can keep the masters & i will not be w/o music.

cause my poor broke self hasn't bought a cd in yrs. the last one i bought was Velvet Underground for myself & DJ Crush for my bf.

i love music but have no $$. should i just say thank u because at least i have a radio & mtv? i don't like those 2 as my only options.

im a single parent & my dough goes to better things, like bread.

i understand that someone out there is losing money & marketing points. i recognize that by endorsing piracy, i am encouraging theft. but i don't profess to be perfect.

if swiping music is the worst thing that i am doing, i can live with myself.

im gonna go steal an eyepatch now.

{{{{{{{((((((hepkatmama))))))}}}}}}}


You are a badass!!!!!

im a single parent & my dough goes to better things, like bread.

I am sorry that you have to do it on your own but it is nice to know that there are still people with priorities.

Thank You
hepkatmama

I'm mixed on this issue, honestly.

My problem is that i'm big into the whole "try before you buy" mentality. I think it should apply to everything. Software, music, gear, you name it.

I don't think music should be free. If it was, we wouldn't have career musicians. People wouldn't be able to devote their lives to music because they'd have to hold down steady jobs to pay the bills. This would be a bad, bad thing. If someone *wants* their music to be free, more power to them. But if someone thinks that their music should be paid for them, it's their personal right.

I have a significant number of mp3s (who doesn't these days??), but if I really like the track (or the album) I'll buy it. I want to show my support to the artist.

It amuses me when record companies try to just "stick their head in the ground" and hope issues like mp3s and music piracy will go away. They won't, ever. Regardless of whether they shut down file trading sites, pass laws, whatever. In the end, you'll always have casual music piracy. Some things you just can't fight. If they were smart, they'd embrace the technology before it passes them by.

Regarding those who think all music should be free (or all software should be free)-- this line of thinking honestly upsets me. Who are we to tell someone else that their hard work should be given away for free?

How would you like it if you toiled away for hours, weeks, or even months on something, just to have it stolen.

Yes, alot of us write music simply for the enjoyment of it, and never expect anything back from the community. But there's nothing wrong with trying to make a living.

[likwid]

i'm with blame on this one..
if i go download a set, get the tracklisting..
or if im going record shopping online, i only get a clip of the song.
i'll go download it to see what the rest of it is like.
most of the time, i'll buy it.

as for the punishing..
i dunno.
some people get mp3's, and they have no intention of buying the cd. others they'll listen to it, be like 'hey -- this is really good,' and go buy it. personally, i think its done more good than harm for the music industry. _definately_ helped out alot of the smaller guys [example: ppk, going from mp3.com to perfecto]
imo, mp3's wont put anybody out of business.
it's just one of those things... it'll always be there.

[Adam D]

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

The funniest thing about the whole situation is that Sony, one of the biggest labels around, and one of the leaders in whining about music piracy, produces all sorts of CD burners and MP3 devices. They're probably banking more now off of sales of this merchandise than the music people are pirating.