music "piracy" - bad or good for the artist?

[RichCI]

I try to stay away from these conversations out of sheer frustration... I can't argue with every flawed argument presented or I'll go insane.

 

Ditto.

[Silenced Fred]

I buy all of my music (either CDs or digital files from Amazon or iTunes) and I get sh¡t for it from other kids on how I should just illegally download it. I prefer to support the artists and not steal, granted my sale especially from iTunes or the sort is a very small percentage, but I am not stealing.

 

I have traded files with a friend, I am not sure if this constitutes as stealing, but I have done it. He buys almost all of his music, so I don't feel terrible, but if it something I really want, I will buy it for myself.

 

This is one thing that I have noticed is terrible about our society: people feel it is their right to free music. I consider it a privilege to have such entertainment literally at our fingertips. People are far too conceited and want everything right away nowadays, I think this is what will break down society, the righteousness people feel.

[Rocky4]

Ahhh... so it's ok to steal from them?

 

For the record... what exactly is the minimum annual income for it to be ok to be stolen from?

 

Oh... and does that apply to other crimes as well???

 

 

THIS could get interesting....

 

I find it interesting that the majority of posters were against piracy. If you go to Pirate Bay and do a Led Zeppelin search, you'll find over 1,200 seeders. That's just the users that have it available at that time, not the number of people downloading, which would be vastly larger. So, there are quite a few people stealing music. I posted this topic quite a while ago and got the same response. The majority was against piracy. I know people from all walks of life and all ranges of income, and the majority of them pirate music. I wonder if it's like asking how often you have sex. Do you tell people the truth, or do you lie to make people think of you in a certain way? So, we're all perfect angels? Other crimes? Like waitresses that lie about tips, which is a common practice. I'm not arguing for or against piracy, I'm just skeptical about the holier than thou attitude.

[Shnate McDuanus]

All of my music comes from CDs that I purchase or that my dad purchased at one point. Illegally downloading music is stealing, and I'm diametrically opposed to the act of theft.

[ChanMan]

I find it interesting that the majority of posters were against piracy. If you go to Pirate Bay and do a Led Zeppelin search' date=' you'll find over 1,200 seeders. That's just the users that have it available at that time, not the number of people downloading, which would be vastly larger. So, there are quite a few people stealing music. I posted this topic quite a while ago and got the same response. The majority was against piracy. I know people from all walks of life and all ranges of income, and the majority of them pirate music. I wonder if it's like asking how often you have sex. Do you tell people the truth, or do you lie to make people think of you in a certain way? So, we're all perfect angels? Other crimes? Like waitresses that lie about tips, which is a common practice. I'm not arguing for or against piracy, I'm just skeptical about the holier than thou attitude.[/quote']

 

 

Valid point. My neighbor, who is in church every time the doors open, has racks of pirated music cds. I'd bet she'd have an excellent reason for why it was not theft.

 

 

I don't steal. It's a matter of character. I've returned money that the bank over paid me. I needed that money, too. We were pretty dang broke at the time. But that's not who I am. I took it back.

 

My wife keeps telling me, though, that I ain't like them other men.

[jameswithesg]

i get tons of music for free, either cds from friends, or downloading

 

 

i dont see a problem with it

 

ive spent plenty of money on cd's, especially cds of local musicians, any big name your just paying or the plastic and they arent seeing much of it, which is not what most bands get money from anyways

 

so i say download popular music, support local and underground music

 

but i throw down the cash for live music, and i still buy vinyl

[Cruznolfart]

I find it interesting that the majority of posters were against piracy. If you go to Pirate Bay and do a Led Zeppelin search' date=' you'll find over 1,200 seeders. That's just the users that have it available at that time, not the number of people downloading, which would be vastly larger. So, there are quite a few people stealing music. I posted this topic quite a while ago and got the same response. The majority was against piracy. I know people from all walks of life and all ranges of income, and the majority of them pirate music. I wonder if it's like asking how often you have sex. Do you tell people the truth, or do you lie to make people think of you in a certain way? So, we're all perfect angels? Other crimes? Like waitresses that lie about tips, which is a common practice. I'm not arguing for or against piracy, I'm just skeptical about the holier than thou attitude.[/quote']

 

With respect, I can't speak to the "holier than thou" issue. I don't feel holy. I don't view myself as better. I don't think anyone addressed his own perfection or lack thereof. A question was asked and it seems most posters answered it as frankly as possible. I don't know a lot of people but I give the ones I DO know the courtesy and respect of believing what they tell me about themselves. I don't know you and have no reason to impress you with my moral superiority or virtue. I just believe what I believe. And I believe taking, without permission, something of value that doesn't belong to me is stealing. And I believe that stealing for any reason other than survival is wrong. If that constitutes an attitude in your book, so be it. I suspect we can all live with it.

[mcmurray]

But the second site... this isn't "downloading" in the traditional sense' date=' either.

[/quote']

 

Yes it is.

 

http://www.archive.org/details/etree

 

One of the best sites on the net for live music downloads.

[Hector Arcadius]

I am not sure whats so complex about stealing. Walking into a supermarket and walking out with a loaf of bread without paying is stealing. So is illegal downloading. I dont allow my kids to steal music and neither do I. If you cant afford or are unwilling to pay .99 for a song then' date=' you have more serious problems then whether or not to pay for music. Its a matter of integrity. And theres no degree of integrity, you either have it or you dont.

 

By the way, Happy New Year.

 

[/quote']

 

 

+1

 

Your post nailed the subject man. Oh, and your avatar rocks! W/

 

Welcome on board & happy new year as well mate!

[Hector Arcadius]

Just to add another dimention on the subject:

 

Although I certainly agree that illegal downloading of music does hurt the artist / performed himself and his income, I have to point out that at the same time it hurts the label / firm behind him / her. And, although I may sound tough, I don't consider this to be a bad thing when it comes to big, multinational firms, that have been exploiting both musicians and consumers in the worst possible manner during the last decades, promoting certain types of no-brain music...

 

Let me clarify this: I don't support this and I don't find arguments to support piracy. I'm just adding a different perspective to the subject.

 

 

BTW, I only own downloaded material that was given (and I insist on given) to me by friends who know my musical tastes and only by bands that either I have already paid (many times) for their work or bands that I will eventually do so. I like to own an actual CD collection. And I also believe that with downloading and owning mass amounts of songs / albums, you don't ever actually take the time to LISTEN an album throughout all the songs and appreciate / evaluate the work of the artist(s) behind it.

[Silenced Fred]

I find it interesting that the majority of posters were against piracy. If you go to Pirate Bay and do a Led Zeppelin search' date=' you'll find over 1,200 seeders. That's just the users that have it available at that time, not the number of people downloading, which would be vastly larger. So, there are quite a few people stealing music. I posted this topic quite a while ago and got the same response. The majority was against piracy. I know people from all walks of life and all ranges of income, and the majority of them pirate music. I wonder if it's like asking how often you have sex. Do you tell people the truth, or do you lie to make people think of you in a certain way? So, we're all perfect angels? Other crimes? Like waitresses that lie about tips, which is a common practice. I'm not arguing for or against piracy, I'm just skeptical about the holier than thou attitude.[/quote']

 

As others are saying, very valid point. For me personally, what benefit would I have to lie to someone I will never meet on the internet? I don't Bullsh¡t people, that is the one thing I won't do in my life.

 

I don't go around preaching about how I buy my music either, if people want to do that, that is their decision, I might make a recommendation to watch the possible outcomes of it, I might send a link to an article about some of the people that get caught, but that's it.

[Lowdown]

I'm gonna weigh in here for the simple fact that most of you get sucked in by the "if you illegally download your favourite artists music then you're depriving them of their livelihood"argument spewed out by recording companies.

BULLSHIT.

Did I say bullshit? Well,I'll say it again...BULLSHIT!

 

These vampires suck dry most artists who just wanna get their music out there to the masses(don't we all?)but then when confronted by the immoveable brick wall of downloading(and let's not not get into the past practice of copying albums onto cassetes etc.)plead for every "criminal" to stop robbing their artist's of their liberty and music.

They've done a good enough job already of that believe you me. Don't buy into it.

 

I've said all this before...I spend my hard earned bikkies on at least 1-2 albums(yes I still call 'em that)a week. BUT..That's usually after I've sussed out a new act/album by downloading a song from the net. You can't/won't stop and they know it. Shut down 1 and another will just raise up in it's place.

 

Imagine it,a curfew on music! Sheeyit music's for the masses man...spread it 'round.

Unless you're a pseudo blues git named John Mayer.:- Don't he have a movie coming out...

[Duende]

A lot of sides have been covered and I have read and enjoyed every post; I am not judging anyone.

 

Personally speaking, as an artist, I don't like the idea of someone copying something I have made. From my angle I am very small time and it wounds me someone wouldn't be prepared to value soemthing enough to pay me for it. It is about the principle and the money[biggrin]

 

As a record/cd, book and DVD collector I don't own one pirated copy...why?

 

Well it is as much a moral decision as it is a fastedious one LOL I feel copies are tainted and fake. It bothers my mind, the thought of them in my collection and makes me feel itchy...

 

Plus I always think if I was at a party and one of my heroes was there; say Anthony Hopkins the actor or Julian Bream my favourite classical guitarist, I would feel such a snide knowing that I had effectively stolen from those guy that I have so much love for.

 

Matt

[deepblue]

I have bought most albums four or five times because of the media changing ie..Records-cassette-8 track-cd

So I have paid royalties to these musicians numerous times for the same songs. New musicians, well I dont

care much for newer tunes so I dont download them.

 

I sleep well...very well at night.

[Lowdown]

I have bought most albums four or five times because of the media changing ie..Records-cassette-8 track-cd

So I have paid royalties to these musicians numerous times for the same songs. New musicians' date=' well I dont

care much for newer tunes so I dont download them.

 

I sleep well...very well at night.[/quote']

 

Cool. Good on ya db.

 

My beef/argument if you like is with the record companies. I,like you,have also over the years bought cassettes/albums etc. (damn I remember 8 trks but won't own up to owning them[biggrin] ).

I went 1 on 1 with a company honcho night years ago when i was signed to a label (Festival)and put this exact same argument to them all to no success. I saw the download revolution coming,they didn't. I had friends already doing it when I didn't even know how to work a computer!

 

Don't believe what you hear...unless you download it yourself.

[deepblue]

To combat piracy I thought the record labels were going to reduce the price of cd's?....It never happened.

"Have you seen the little Piggies crawling in the dirt?"....Thanks Georgie boy!

[Lowdown]

To combat piracy I thought the record labels were going to reduce the price of cd's?....It never happened.

"Have you seen the little Piggies crawling in the dirt?"....Thanks Georgie boy!

 

Who told you that?

[deepblue]

Who told you that?

 

I read that about 5 or 6 years ago in the newspaper. The big music companies felt that by lowering

the price of a compact disc people would be more likely to buy then to burn.

Maybe they were just thinking out loud and it never came to pass.

[Witmer]

This is one thing that I have noticed is terrible about our society: people feel it is their right to free music. I consider it a privilege to have such entertainment literally at our fingertips.

 

 

Well said. This baffles me....

[ChanMan]

Yes it is.

 

http://www.archive.org/details/etree

 

One of the best sites on the net for live music downloads.

 

 

No. The Archive isn't' date=' which was your first link. Their Db is restricted from DL in the ToS. One finds when one actually reads the material they are simply offering a link to Etree.... a partner as it were.

 

Etree is offering downloads, and maintains the Db apparently:

 

[i']Welcome to Internet Archive's Live Music library. etree.org is a community committed to providing the highest quality live concerts in a lossless, downloadable format. The Internet Archive has teamed up with etree.org to preserve and archive as many live concerts as possible for current and future generations to enjoy. All music in this Collection is from trade-friendly artists and is strictly non-commercial, both for access here and for any further distribution. Artists' commercial releases are off-limits. This collection is maintained by the etree.org community. [/i]

 

Not picking a fight with you, but as I typically do when someone post a links and says "Here's my proof!", I go read what they've offered. I'm just reporting back what I've found.

 

So, what new links will we post now, I wonder? Still trying to figure out what either of these sites has to do with piracy affecting the artists..... both seem completely legit to me.

 

 

And thanks for the cool sites, too. Prior to your post I'd never been to either of them!

[Witmer]

I find it interesting that the majority of posters were against piracy. If you go to Pirate Bay and do a Led Zeppelin search' date=' you'll find over 1,200 seeders. That's just the users that have it available at that time, not the number of people downloading, which would be vastly larger. So, there are quite a few people stealing music. I posted this topic quite a while ago and got the same response. The majority was against piracy. I know people from all walks of life and all ranges of income, and the majority of them pirate music. I wonder if it's like asking how often you have sex. Do you tell people the truth, or do you lie to make people think of you in a certain way? So, we're all perfect angels? Other crimes? Like waitresses that lie about tips, which is a common practice. I'm not arguing for or against piracy, I'm just skeptical about the holier than thou attitude.[/quote']

 

 

Sorry to have re-posted your topic... should have thought to search and add my thoughts to that.

 

Um... have you considered that this is primarily a musician's venue? The general populace seems pretty relaxed about copyright infringement, but it should make sense that the people on this board would be more aware and concerned about the damage done to a musician by music piracy. I doubt it's "holier-than-thou" - people who work for insurance companies are probably a little more sensitive about the minor forms of insurance fraud than most Americans, and musicians are probably more likely to object to copyright infringement.

 

I am surprised there isn't more discussion about the benefits of exposure by free downloads, but then I did specify "piracy" in my subject line....