Downloading Music

[thatpfunk]

[jstnrgrs]

Downloading music is often perfectly legal.

[pshreck]

[ QUOTE ]
Downloading music is often perfectly legal.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think he is talking about music that people actually want to listen to.

[JaBlue]

You need to add the option "I buy from artists that need my money but download CDs from mainstream sons of bitches"

[thatpfunk]

Doesn't that fall into the harmless category then?

[spamuell]

is stealing but i don't care.

I don't think that's quite the same as harmless, I'm prepared to admit it's not harmless.

[fluxrad]

Ok. This needs to get cleared up early:

Downloading songs off the internet is copyright infringement, not "stealing"

This is not to say that it's not wrong or illegal, but rather that it's a different thing. As an example, if I steal a CD off the shelf the store is out however much money they spent. The important point is not that a sale has been lost, but that an actual product has been lost.

In contrast, with copyright infringement the only damage that has been done is the potential loss of a sale. If I download the new Madonna album she has not actually lost any money. No actual damages have occurred, however she has lost a potential sale (or not, in my case). Still, her original and every other copy of her album on the market are still in tact. Moreover, theft is a criminal charge while copyright infringement is a civil one.

This is why it is incorrect and rather dishonest to say that copyright infringement is "stealing." As I said, I'm not saying it is an acceptable practice nor have I really given my feelings on the matter. I just don't like seeing the above get confused as it's a tactic used explicitly (and seemingly very effectively) by the RIAA and MPAA to get people to equate infringement with guys in black masks coming to rob your house.

[thatpfunk]

ya, but all the wouldn't fit into my poll categories... /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Seriously though, interesting explanation.

[daveymck]

I cant vote, it does in some ways harm the artist but can also help them.

I generally download from Newsgroups and so in there get a lot of pre release stuff and also stuff fomr groups I have never heard of. Most gets deleted some I then buy and some gets on my MP3 player and if they tour I will go and see them and look out for their next album.

The fact is that the artists are screwed more by the recording industry than people who were not going to buy it anyway downloading it and listening. Once bands catch onto this and start releasing their stuff on the net themselves (getting a much higher profit from each sale) cutting out the middle man and retailer then the record industry will probably collapse as we know it. The major labels are starting to catch on that they can now sell stuff online but I wonder if they have reacted quickly enough to long term keep the industry as we know it.

There is a lot of HIfi equiptment in the pipeline (and some now) that is going to allow mp3's to be transferred form the pc onto hard disk and played via a stero, Cambridge Audio are doing one that has 160gig hard drive a cd player on and will if connected to a monitor search for the album cover and even the lyrics from the net. We will have the ability to pipe music round the house wirelessly via mp3. That side of the industry is going to see huge growth and will result in a reduction of CD sales but not to extintion.

I also think for new and unsigned bands mp3 and the net is the perfect way to promote themselves worldwide.

[turnipmonster]

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The fact is that the artists are screwed more by the recording industry


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people like to say this and it's irrelevant. I've been in several bands with label deals, and no one holds a gun to your head and makes you sign with a label. it's a contract that the artist negotiates with the label. the fact that you don't think it's a good deal for the artist is completely and totally irrelevant, as it's a contract that the artist willfully engages in.

arguing whether or not the artist gets screwed is like arguing whether or not your employer (if you have one) is screwing you. they might be, they might not be, but what business is it of anyone else?

btw I agree about the net being a great thing for artists, and the trend towards independent music in general. I think it's a good thing as well.
--turnipmonster

[daveymck]

I agree partly with what you say but the fact is that to make money and get released they have to go with a record label and hopefully its one that gives them good support and promotion and the highest royalties.

If you dont sign a contract what options do you have? Self financing recording and videos, self promotion and distribution. Many bands are young kids who dont have the funds to self finance such a venture, its fine at a city level but if you want to break out you do need some sort of support.

Most labels are not interested in developing talent and building a following and giving big support as a long term investment they want results and if they dont come they will drop you.

There are some good indie labels out there bu these are outweighed by the bad ones.

I have said on here in the past I hope to get a label up and running at some point, I will be striving to be one of the good ones. Web promotion would be a big part of that maybe even posting stuff on the newsgroups my self, yes it might harm short term sales but looking longer term build a following and then back fill the sales then.

[LaggyLou]

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Moreover, theft is a criminal charge while copyright infringement is a civil one.

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Um, actually, no. Several forms of copyright infringment are federal crimes. Some are felonies.

[turnipmonster]

my point is more that bands usually get to choose a label, and almost all of them have self produced reocordings before they get a label deal. if a label offers you a bad contract, you say no and either renogiatiate or wait for another one.

in my experience, most bands don't make all that much money from recordings anyways, since the label recoups the cost before paying and most people just don't sell that many records. the real money is in touring and selling merchandise at shows for most bands. that's been the primary source of income for every band I've ever played in or known.

don't get me wrong, composer's royalties are helpful and you do make money from recordings, but not having a record deal is not a career ending situation for a touring band with a consistently strong draw, at least in my experience.

--turnipmonster