Poll: Do you download MP3's from P2P Networks?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Do you download MP3's from P2P Networks? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=143&ref=forums.macrumors.com)

[iWantAMac]

Occasionally. I used to quite alot, but not so much anymore - Mainly 'cause I don't need to. I buy most of my music and that's the way I like it.

[edesignuk]

HELL YES!...I mean no...;)

[Nermal]

If I like a song, I'll usually download it. If I like several songs from the same artist, I'll usually buy their CD. And occasionally I buy singles (usually to get videos that I can't find to download!)

[mac15]

Why pay for something when its there for nothing, I think the CD single is dead.

I'd rather download it.

[redAPPLE]

i just do it, because someone stole a couple of my rare (almost impossible to find) cds. ;)

[cionheart]

I've downloaded many files when Audiogalaxy (remember?) was out there. It was so cool - lots of music, run server at home but select files to download at work, good search functionality, very good use of bandw. - I really really loved it. Now there's Overnet, eMule, Kazaa & Co and I download two or three files a month. I have to admit I don't like these P2P nets at all. I would give Apple's system a try if the price is ok. I hope they don't make the same faults every company did in the past with too high prices.

[gerror]

I download mp3's from Kazaa but I also am a member of eMusic.com where I pay for my music. It's mainly some less known bands. It's easy to use and it is cheap. The bands I can't find there I download with Kazaa.

[medea]

Not anymore, I stopped shortly after audiogalaxy fell through, that was the most fun to use and in my opinion none of the existing programs are much fun to use now.

[davy the bunny]

Like the other thread said, until it's reasonable (which is to be defined) to pay for downloads I will continue to use P2P. But if something is offered by Apple I'll definitely be one of the first to give it a go.

[eyelikeart]

I used to go to Limewire for everything...got quite a lot of files through it in the past...

these days...if I can usually get them through some friends of mine...

also...I joined emusic.com a couple months ago...

my mp3 collection is doubled in size since... :eek:

[jethroted]

I listen to a lot of old school punk and hardcore. Most of it went out of print 2 months after it came out. The bands have not existed for close to 15 years in some cases, and they don't re-issue most of it, so P2P is wonderful. I can get my hands on alot of tunes that would other wise be hiding in some guys closet till he dies. I don't feel like I'm stealing anything. If they wanted the money, then release it on CD! Kudos to those who take vinyl, and transfer it to mp3/mp4! It's not easy.

[testnull]

Uh, sure. Hey, look, it's Sander Kleinenberg's new NuBreed set floating around on Kazaa!

Ermh, wait. No, it isn't.

Until there's a practical way to download two CD's worth of continuously mixed material, nobody in the progressive community is going to bother. (and even then, most won't anyway.)

[beez7777]

oh you mean those non existent p2p networks available for mac? ;) yes, every now and then i do, but very rarely, as i've yet to find a decent p2p network. limewire is ok, not crazy about it's slowness, but i guess it works for the occasional download.

[dreamlance]

I've used Kazaa and Imesh after Audiogalaxy crashed. Not nearly as much now but I downloaded stuff to preview the album I suppose. I hate wasting money on albums for one good song and I don't have a CD burner yet.

[scem0]

I use Kazaa all the time, and my sister uses it about twice as
much as I do, that seems impossible, but she does it. :rolleyes: ;) :D .

I have a TWO album CD collection if there weren't p2p networks.

:D:D:D

[King Cobra]

I do, but I would rather support the album. Unfortunately, for us, we are on a tight budget.

BTW: My Physics teacher downloads mp3s.

[yosoyjay]

I used to do it quite often to pick up misc. singles and crap. But now that I've upgraded my stereo system the limitations of mp3s are painfully obvious and I've really cut down on number I download.

[deorg]

I use torrents Its kind better than kazaa

[kastenbrust]

I do and i dont see any problem with it ethically, if artists want me to pay for their music then charge reasonable prices, same goes for films. And dont try telling me im hurting the music industry because humans have been making music for over 20,000 years, infact monkeys make music.

People make music through creative choice, not usually from a desire to get rich, its the labels and big companies that attach the massive prices and get the cream at the end of the day, and its not fair.

[nplima]

Yes. I use Jamendo, a portal for music distribution, directly from the artist to the consumer. Using BitTorrent is a very valid option for reducing costs of distribution there.
The user reviews and "if you like x we recommend y" system they have there is what the traditional music distribution industry should have developed 10 years ago. Now they have their lunch devoured by Apple, Amazon and the like and everyone is much happier.

[uaecasher]

No... XD

[minik]

Dude, it's a year 2003 thread. Anyway, P2P networks are so pre-2000 to me.

[SpaceMagic]

Dude, it's a year 2003 thread. Anyway, P2P networks are so pre-2000 to me.

Lol.. yeh! I was wondering just then... do ppl really use P2P to download music still!?!

In 2003 I probably did for everything... but for the last 4 years I've bought every single song legally. That's thanks mostly to iTMS.

[armoguy94]

No. Who uses P2P anymore? Torrents are the way to go. I usually go about downloading albums or packs of music (like ultimate dance hits of the 90s). That way I can discover new artists and I purchase the music that I like if they are reasonably priced. Artists usually end up profiting from pirates, because it gains massive exposure and many people just want to 'try before they buy'. The people who found out about them through torrents will probably end up purchasing a few of their songs especially if they're hard to find, as long as they're priced reasonably... and they'll also go to their local concerts which is big revenue for the artist.

So unless you're a small artist, I don't see how pirating music is bad because you'll be making more money from pirating. It gets your name out. Trust me. I wouldn't be listening to half the music I did if it weren't for torrents, and I also would never have purchased many songs if it weren't for pirating, nor would I have spent great amounts of money on artist merchandises and concert tickets. It's a Win-Win the way I see it. Unless you're a small artist.

[fleshman03]

Lol.. yeh! I was wondering just then... do ppl really use P2P to download music still!?!

In 2003 I probably did for everything... but for the last 4 years I've bought every single song legally. That's thanks mostly to iTMS.

So you're proud to make Big Content richer and richer?

[Drummerman558]

i use itunes, if that counts. so yes i guess

[minik]

So you're proud to make Big Content richer and richer?

I don't think that's the case here.

[deorg]

Its not very satisfying cheking out MTV cribbs and then purchasein to make these people more filthy rich...

[Cassie]

Its not very satisfying cheking out MTV cribbs and then purchasein to make these people more filthy rich...
You must be buying the wrong kind of music. :p

I buy a lot of my songs...but I also download a lot more from MegaUpload, and the occasional P2P network, unfortunately. I would love to buy all my music, but it really adds up...

[kastenbrust]

You must be buying the wrong kind of music. :p

I buy a lot of my songs...but I also download a lot more from MegaUpload, and the occasional P2P network, unfortunately. I would love to buy all my music, but it really adds up...

exactly, i would love to pay, but its a complete rip off for most music.

if food was too expensive to buy people would steal it rather than starve, and since listening to music is as part of what makes us human if not more than eating, then theres nothing wrong with downloading it illegally if its overpriced.

[Stinkysteve]

I use torrents and a few blogs mostly to download music I already own on vinyl.

I will purchase select things from iTunes and directly from the DGM Live site. The DGM Live site offers downloads in MP3 or FLAC for just a little more.

[three]

I still buy songs off of the iTunes store, but when I don't feel like buying songs I torrent them.

[Chase R]

I don't know what I'd do without a P2P network.

[needthephone]

No its theft pure and simple.

If you could go into your local corner store which you knew was un attended and steal some goods from it?

Well if you would go on keep downloading but if you wouldn't think if its really that differant

It's the same thing, I don't care how you try and justify it as the evil record companies exploiting the poor artist etc. It is stealing something which you had no hand in creating.

Just because everyone does it does not make it right.

I am not at all religious and do not believe in god in case I'm accused of being " holy than though"

Those guys from Pirate Bay should rot in jail

It will kill the industry which is what i worry about which perhaps explains the poor quality of music around today.

[kastenbrust]

It will kill the industry which is what i worry about which perhaps explains the poor quality of music around today.

It will change the industry, some people are scared of change, obviously you for one

[Chase R]

It will change the industry, some people are scared of change, obviously you for one

Thank You. P2P is never going to kill an industry. Like kastenbrust said, it's going to broaden in and change it.

[macgrl]

No :)

[tayshon]

Yes I go though Limewire and also some sites I go to I download directly from them.

[Blue Fox]

Nope.

I try to keep it legal as much as possible. I'll rip a CD or two from a friend if I really like it, but most of the time I just buy the few songs that I like from iTunes.

[aiterum]

congrats on reviving a topic that is 6 years old

[Fiveos22]

What are the statutes of limitations on this....? :eek:

[Batman101]

No its theft pure and simple.

If you could go into your local corner store which you knew was un attended and steal some goods from it?

Well if you would go on keep downloading but if you wouldn't think if its really that differant

It's the same thing, I don't care how you try and justify it as the evil record companies exploiting the poor artist etc. It is stealing something which you had no hand in creating.

Just because everyone does it does not make it right.

I am not at all religious and do not believe in god in case I'm accused of being " holy than though"

Those guys from Pirate Bay should rot in jail

It will kill the industry which is what i worry about which perhaps explains the poor quality of music around today.
Yes, and i am so proud of myself for doing it:D

Plus its legal to do that in Canada.

[crackbookpro]

of course...actually no, never!!!:confused:

...lol;)

CrackBookPro:cool:

[ZeroCorpse]

Rarely, and only for stuff that I already have on vinyl, cassette, 8-track, or reel-to-reel. If I paid for it twice in the past, I see no reason to pay for it again just because the playback technology has changed.

The artists still got paid. I feel justified.

[typofreak183]

No, not anymore.

At one point, when I was still on a PC, I used LimeWire (http://www.limewire.com/) a lot.
I try to stick to more ethical means of things now:)
You can actually download MP3s for free from Skreemr (http://skreemr.com), which is nice because you don't ever install anything for it, and it's a website...

I hate torrents, mainly just because I have no idea how they work, but also because they've given me way too much grief in the past. Never using those again (at least for music)!:mad:

[jayeskreezy]

I try not to. The only thing that I download now are instrumentals that I can't find anywhere else. Otherwise no-there's no need to with amiestreet.com anyway. You can find MP3's for like .30 or less there.

[InvalidUserID]

Yes.

9 times out of 10, if I like a few songs I've DLed, I go out and buy the album. Doesn't really make it right but I do it.

[Galley]

Hell, no! It's not worth the hassle.

[iObama]

No, I use torrents. I do feel bad about it, though. I'm a teenager, and the job market's really tight where I live so I can't find a job. Our high school career center went from having hundreds of jobs to offer to having NO jobs in a matter of weeks!

I try to buy music as often as I can, even if record execs are greedy. It's their/the artist's property, and they deserve the money for it regardless if I think they are rich enough already or not.

[basketball762]

Nope. I am always to scared that I will be caught so I don't do it. Better be safe then sorry.

[teaguecole]

I use google and search the CD I want and then add RapidShare to it or MegaUpload and find some file hosting site that is hosting the CD and get it that way. If I really like the CD I will buy it. This way I don't have to deal with having a P2P program on my computer. It takes time to find stuff but after a while you become pro. I also use forums that give links to download CD's from file hosting sites like RapidShare and MegaUpload. I use to use Cabos (P2P) because it was a very clean and easy to use interface. All it is, is a search bar and the results. I have also heard PC users use Napster or Rhapsody or any monthly subscription service and then take a program like TuneBite and take off the DRM or whatever so it can play on any MP3 player. All TuneBite does I believe is just re-record the song internally through the sound card. Even though it is illegal to tamper with the purchased content, at least they paid the monthly fees? Haha You would be amazed with how much music they end up with, and how fast everything downloads. It does take a little bit longer to rip the DRM off though. However I do pay for a good amount of music that I really like and I find myself supporting artists whenever I have the money to support them.

[jhsfosho]

I quit using p2p out of fear of getting caught.

[eftrix]

Ive grown up :p

[Mycatisbigfoot]

I always used Lime wire, I have tryed torrents for music but its more of a pain in the rear, i do use lime wire in a blue moon know as i have 70 songs, yea alot iknow, well i have about 200 but only 70 i listen to

[UltraNEO*]

Usually I'll download something new or listen to it via Last.fm's radio. After, if i like the artist, I'll go out and buy the CD thoough near enough every single CD I own is either an Import or Purchased overseas.

Kinda get sick of the local Brit scene...
it's the same ole crap all over again, only it's been repackaged by a new artist then resold!!
I want something new, interesting.. something fresh!!! Where's all the talent?

[DiamondMac]

Yes, I do download some.

I purchase most but not all.

[roski11]

Yes.

9 times out of 10, if I like a few songs I've DLed, I go out and buy the album. Doesn't really make it right but I do it.

Me too, I only buy underground/old school stuff. Got to support some bands.

[OutSpoken]

Yes I download. However not through p2p anymore. Usually blog sites and forum links. I have saved a lot this way.
Over the years my music taste has stretched a fair bit, unfortunately my salary hasn't.. And with the rate new music gets pumped out these days it can be quite an expensive hobbie collecting music. Imo music these days doesn't have that classic lasting effect it use to. But then I guess it depends on the genre.

I've always said to myself, when I win the lottery I'll start buying again.

[spaceboots06]

I used to use Limewire a lot, but the quality and extra sound bytes people would add became annoying.

[spaceboots06]

Yes I download. However not through p2p anymore. Usually blog sites and forum links. I have saved a lot this way.
Over the years my music taste has stretched a fair bit, unfortunately my salary hasn't.. And with the rate new music gets pumped out these days it can be quite an expensive hobbie collecting music. Imo music these days doesn't have that classic lasting effect it use to. But then I guess it depends on the genre.

I've always said to myself, when I win the lottery I'll start buying again.

beemp3.com! Same here!!!

[Kan-O-Z]

As they say nothing in life is free!

What do I mean? Well if you use P2P, you pay in other ways which may or may not be of concern to you. Here are some ways you pay:

1. Time is money. You get to deal with home recordings often. Many times they are poor. You have to sometimes download the same song many times until you find a good version of it. This is extra work and most of the time the quality is not up to par! If I want a song, I don't feel like wasting time trying to find a good version.

2. P2P Networks use your computer as part of the system. I don't want my computer to act as a server in any way slowing down my internet experience. I also don't want potential security problems.

3. Legal issues. We all know the issues with this. I'd rather be at ease and not think or worry about it. 99 cents for a song is reasonable.

Anyways, this is how you pay for free songs...in other ways than with money.

Kan-O-Z

[Steven89]

Yes. ...well, no. Sort of.

I download Torrents. I'm a college student and can't afford to pay 99 cents per song to fill up my iPod, especially since my taste in music changes on occasion.

[TheProduct]

I use mainly blogs, limewire and of course Acquisition. I noticed that nobody else in here uses Acquisition, any reason why? Its made for the mac.

[clearchaos]

all the time.
i mainly use rapidshare/mediafire/megaupload now, though. i love getting full speed on every download.

[newcronos]

Yes. ...well, no. Sort of.

I download Torrents. I'm a college student and can't afford to pay 99 cents per song to fill up my iPod, especially since my taste in music changes on occasion.

Torrents are P2P, not just 'sort of'.

[dvdhsu]

Yes. ...well, no. Sort of.

I download Torrents. I'm a college student and can't afford to pay 99 cents per song to fill up my iPod, especially since my taste in music changes on occasion.
Torrents are P2P, not just 'sort of'.
Torrents are P2P, there is nothing arguable about that. Your computer is transferring a file to another computer, that is known as Peer to Peer.

You don't need to pay 99 cents per song, I buy CDs off Amazon for roughly $7 each, including shipping. They're used, but there's nothing wrong with that, as long as its not scratched up.
I don't know about you, but that beats getting a letter from your College warning you.

[EssentialParado]

if food was too expensive to buy people would steal it rather than starve, and since listening to music is as part of what makes us human if not more than eating, then theres nothing wrong with downloading it illegally if its overpriced.
I've always said to myself, when I win the lottery I'll start buying again.

Well firstly, you don't need music to live. Comparing it to food is a bit silly.

Second, I'm really surprised a few people in this thread have said they think music is overpriced. A song is $0.99… or £0.79 in the UK. Compare that to the cost of a bottle of pepsi, or a coffee.

The worst thing is people who download their music illegally justifying themselves by calling it overpriced, but then they go out and buy a $100 pair of jeans.

And yes, I am a musician, and I've also seen my material being pirated online. Most people who download illegally don't discriminate between the rich artists or the ones who are struggling to make a living. It's tough seeing your own work being pirated online against your wishes – it feels very unfair – primarily because there's not really anything we're able to do about it.

[Kan-O-Z]

Well firstly, you don't need music to live. Comparing it to food is a bit silly.

Second, I'm really surprised a few people in this thread have said they think music is overpriced. A song is $0.99… or £0.79 in the UK. Compare that to the cost of a bottle of pepsi, or a coffee.

The worst thing is people who download their music illegally justifying themselves by calling it overpriced, but then they go out and buy a $100 pair of jeans.

And yes, I am a musician, and I've also seen my material being pirated online. Most people who download illegally don't discriminate between the rich artists or the ones who are struggling to make a living. It's tough seeing your own work being pirated online against your wishes – it feels very unfair – primarily because there's not really anything we're able to do about it.


+1

As much as I don't like paying for things, it's only fair! Imagine if you spent years writing a book hoping it would sell well and you could make a living. Instead you only end up selling one copy, the rest are free for the world. Years of work go down the drain and you find it hard to survive financially. How is that fair? If you want it, buy it! Just because it's software or music is no excuse!

On the plus side if you buy it, you get the 'official' version which will be professional recorded and you will get the cover art, etc that comes with it. You'll also have the feeling you've done nothing illegal and have supported your favorite music artist so they can continue making more great music. :)

99 cents isn't much. Many people pay $2-$5 for coffee every day!

Kan-O-Z

[iPhoneNYC]

no, I don't see why one would.

[Full of Win]

No, since my connection is the one in my office at school.

[EmperorDarius]

I buy only the music I really like (Translation:Rarely). There are better ways to waste money.

[Apple all life]

I download it from limewire then delete it but before I delete it it goes into Itunes. I think this is the safest way beside burning it onto cds.

[tempusfugit]

I download it from limewire then delete it but before I delete it it goes into Itunes. I think this is the safest way beside burning it onto cds.

LOL good luck with that.

[EssentialParado]

I download it from limewire then delete it but before I delete it it goes into Itunes. I think this is the safest way beside burning it onto cds.

I also heard if you pull out at the very last second there's no chance of getting her pregnant.

[acxz]

If I want more than one song from an album, yes.

[rcf-dds]

i see a good amount of ppl using KaZaa.

how is KaZaa for macs??? is it any good? no one runs into problems with viruses / slowdown?

maybe i'm still stuck in PC world but isn't KaZaa notorious for having files w/ viruses AND the root of lawsuits (if you're sharing unlawfully that is...)

how about frostwire... anyone? i've been using this for a little; it's alright, not great tho

[caligurl]

no.... absolutely NOT!

[iPhone 62S]

No, of course not, it's too easy to get caught!

[enohPi]

If i dont find good quality mp3, then i buy it. 99 cents are'nt much

[tekio]

Have done in the past but tbh I can't be bothered by the hassle now, if I want music I just put itunes radio on.

[SpeedFleX]

Whats a p2p?

No joke I have non p2p sources, I delete all music I dont like and delete the stuff I like and buy it... Like a demo to me...

[Hilmi Hamidi]

i see a good amount of ppl using KaZaa.

how is KaZaa for macs??? is it any good? no one runs into problems with viruses / slowdown?

maybe i'm still stuck in PC world but isn't KaZaa notorious for having files w/ viruses AND the root of lawsuits (if you're sharing unlawfully that is...)

how about frostwire... anyone? i've been using this for a little; it's alright, not great tho
Kazaa is dead long time ago bro.
eMule/ed2k is the best for rare files.
Bittorent is good for fresh and large stuff.

[TheBritishBloke]

Every single song on my mac is from iTunes. I don't mind paying the premium price. It's easy, simple, and no longer DRM protected.

[Kristenn]

Yes I have stolen music. From torrents. Mostly its bands I can not find in the store or old bands out of print. Or just a song that I like off of a album. I download a few songs I like from the album if the rest of the album is... well... crap :o

[MattZani]

Of course i do, im 16 lol.

iMac G3 + OS X Tiger + Transmission + Demonoid + Time Capsule = Winrarrrrr.

[alphaod]

iTunes if it's just some random song; stuff that I care about quality, I buy the CD.

I have occasionally bought a song on iTunes and downloaded the lossless version off other venues.

[electroshock]

Why bother? It just gives the RIAA's lawyers some extra business... and my ISP is known for its overzealous and underhanded handling of P2P traffic, even when it's officially legit.

[McBeats]

wow kazaa is still around??

occasionally ill use p2p if the tune is that hard to find... (yes that includes not finding it on the music stores, trust me, I got tunes for days that u cant buy anymore)

the RIAA can blow it out their rear end... I had several of my own made tracks 'pirated' and didn't make much money off them (after they were signed to a few record labels), but I found my tracks all over torrent sites. and that makes me very happy that I touched that many people. no bitterness towards the consumers.

a lot of artists already got paid what theyre gonna get paid for when they sell their tune to a record label (mostly talking about the independent guys)... lot of times these record labels screw the little guys, and make out like bandits.

edit: as for the big guys in music, they are big enough to go on tour and sell other merchandise (which is really where they will be making their money)...

all I am saying is think about where your money is REALLY going when u buy some music.
----

dont get me wrong, support the artists and buy the music if you can... because you like the artist, not because of the RIAA... hopefully some of that money goes to them and not just to the store, distribution, and the label.

[Razeus]

It's really no different from buying used CD's. The money goes straight to the store not the artist. Sure, I pay for them, but the artist doesn't get anything so I might as well P2P.

[Mark-Mac-Attack]

I find www.play.com or similar stops any need to illegally download music as the prices are great, and you get a nice hard copy. :)

[Sparky9292]

With sites like Pandora, I don't really get mp3's anymore.

[ob81]

Nah. I never really got into downloading from P2P. I have always bought CDs, and when I got an iPod, I always just used iTunes.

Probably would have saved me a lot of dough, but for the most part, I just felt better getting my music that way. I am not big into music buying anyway. Maybe 2 or 3 cd's a year depending on the market.

[Bennieboy©]

not so much anymore, and only way back when if i wanted a particular song that couldnt be found or bought lol :p

[JGruber]

I do, only because I want to sample a band first, and if I happen to like their music, I will proceed to by the full album. I got tired of being burned when buying CD's back in the day, then CD's cost $16-20, and normally would only have 1 good song on it.

[alphaod]

Nope; never have and probably never will.

[monkey86]

have before when i was younger now being a musician i never will!

[fluidedge]

"mp3's" (!)

I'm not a grammar nazi but honestly, does no one know how to use an apostrophe these days?

[TheBritishBloke]

iTunes all the way for me :)

[GlenL]

I buy from Amazon b/c they don't have DRM on their songs.

[Capt Crunch]

Usenet or sweetFM. SweetFM is pretty nice because last.fm is generally pretty good about song choice, and SweetFM will automatically download any song you listen to, tag it, add album art, and put it in a playlist for you. It even will ignore the song if you already have it.

[kingtj]

I was a musician before, in two different bands, plus worked on some electronic dance type stuff on my own. What I decided is it's a lot like striving to become a pro sports athlete, if your goal involves "making good money" at it. Sure, a *few* individuals manage to do it -- but the vast majority of even "very good" artists wind up not getting recognized and/or not getting paid much for their effort.

The *only* sane reason to create music is because you ENJOY it. The whole process of creating something that other people get enjoyment out of is pretty rewarding, in and of itself, I think. Money is something that may, or may not come automatically, as you do something you love doing....

Therefore, I have no guilt at all about downloading MP3s. I've also bought hundreds of music CDs over the years, and gone to my share of concerts - so I've contributed a fair share of money to the "music industry". (I just bought Butterfly Boucher's latest album off iTunes, in fact - because I thought several of their older songs were really good, iTunes reviewers were giving it rave reviews overall, and honestly - it's obscure enough, you can't easily find it to download for free.)

But all in all, artists should either A) be happy they're getting exposure and listeners at all, even if it's just someone downloading a "pirate" copy of a song or album they put out, or B) if they already HAVE so much exposure, they no longer really value it, then they're made PLENTY of money off their work already, and I probably need my $10-15 more than they need it.


have before when i was younger now being a musician i never will!

[Mac In School]

I used to. Now that Apple and Amazon have made it affordable and easy to get the songs I want, I'm more than happy to pay for them.

[flakes8]

Archive.org !!!! Live Music Archive !!!!

[Chimpy]

Sure do. Before anyone cries "PIRATE!" I do hope you all know that there are plenty of fantastic repositories of free music on the net. The Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/details/audio) alone is an amazing treasure trove of stuff.

[jaredwaynef]

I've enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I'm majoring in Recording Industry and one of my required courses is called American Media. It's a really interesting course where we discuss the history and social impact of the mass media... Anywhoozle, we had a lecture on P2P sites the other day. A couple of times on here I read people saying once artists start charging reasonable prices for their content, then they will start legally downloading it. This is funny because of the 99 cents one pays for a song, only roughly 12 cents goes to the artist, 30 cents at BEST (i.e. multi-million dollar guaranteed artists). So you really can't blame the artists for charging too much, in fact, Apple take 1/3 of the 99 cent value of a song.
The questions that come into existence here are generally, "What is a person's creative content really valued at? And aren't we devaluing this art (because it is an art form) by demanding no charge?" Understandably, people often consider the music to be a catharsis for the artist, so that should be enough, right? So what do you think? If making clothes is a catharsis for a person (i.e. fashion designers) should those clothes be free, too? Same thing goes for creating/making food... So personally, I don't believe that argument really applies.
Personally, I think artists should enjoy the exposure they get from things like P2P sites, and if they are good enough, people will generate revenue by buying merchandise, tickets, etc. That money from those things generally gross higher than most CDs/digital downloads.
Just spouting random things I've learned about the music industry... I can't vouch for other media outlets (tv, movies, etc.), but the topic itself is really fun to discuss. Hope this is at least interesting (and comprehendible) to read. :)

[mgilks]

I always used to, but i don't anymore. Seeing as I don't really need to... & I like iTunes :)

[iphonefreakz]

Yes, Regularly :) i always download everything.

[lasdulcig]

I love music, it is my life. And I usually download mp3's from Kazaa. And everyone?

[johnhw]

I love music, it is my life. And I usually download mp3's from Kazaa. And everyone?

.. uses Ut.. nah

I don't.. well back then I used KAZAA (wha?) because I was too poor to buy music.

Now that I can.. I buy from iTunes. :P

[ManuelGnR]

I don't want to pay money for just a .mp3. I do buy cd's regularly, I like it way better. And it's even cheaper by the way, if you want a whole album..

99 cents per song looks cheap but in fact it isn't.

[nza]

Amazon's MP3 stores. MP3's play on anything, they're 100% DRM free, and usually cheaper than iTunes. I can't find a reason why anyone would use iTunes Music Store TBQH.

[EssentialParado]

I love music, it is my life. And I usually download mp3's from Kazaa.
Don't you think, if someone proclaimed to love music, they'd want to support the artists and encourage the creation of more music?


Amazon's MP3 stores. MP3's play on anything, they're 100% DRM free, and usually cheaper than iTunes.
I'm pretty sure that iTunes music is completely free of DRM now. I personally haven't seen much difference in prices between iTunes and Amazon MP3s, but that could just be with me being in the UK.

I can't find a reason why anyone would use iTunes Music Store TBQH.
Easier to browse and buy music, larger selection of music, a better file format, and 'Genius' recommendations. I know that I could quite easily use Amazon for music, but I certainly have good reasons for using iTunes.

[be-b0p]

No its theft pure and simple.

If you could go into your local corner store which you knew was un attended and steal some goods from it?

Well if you would go on keep downloading but if you wouldn't think if its really that differant

It's the same thing, I don't care how you try and justify it as the evil record companies exploiting the poor artist etc. It is stealing something which you had no hand in creating.

Just because everyone does it does not make it right.

I am not at all religious and do not believe in god in case I'm accused of being " holy than though"

Those guys from Pirate Bay should rot in jail

It will kill the industry which is what i worry about which perhaps explains the poor quality of music around today.

your ignorance is outstanding, but i guess its the generational divide.
TRUE artists dont care if you download their music, because they want
their art to be appreciated. Yes, this is actually true. I've even asked my
favorite bands if they mind if I download their music, and most of the time their reaction is "**** no!" i go to their shows and i buy their records and 7"s, but the majority of my music comes from mp3 blogs/megaupload/mediafire/rapidshare.

i do support the independent labels, but **** the major ones for feeding us **** like nsync and backstreet boys IN THE RECORD COMPANIES HEYDAY and justin timberlake and that dumbass kanye, now. its their own fault.
SEXY BACK? seriously? those ****ers should be the ones rotting in jail.
the poor quality of music is the poor quality of major labels that dont understand music as conceptual art.

[EssentialParado]

TRUE artists dont care if you download their music
I think it's fine if the particular types of music and artists you listen to are happy for you to not pay for their music, and it's good you try to support them in other ways, but not all artists are able to constantly tour with live concerts or make enough money from selling merchandise … very, very many artists rely on the sales of their music as their income. After working in the music industry, exclusively with independent labels and musicians, I know the opinion of hundreds of artists, and I know for a fact how rare it is that an artist will be happy for their music to be stolen. Don't get me wrong, some artists are fine with it, but they're very rare, and almost always very small artists who aren't expecting to make a career from their music. That has a negative effect because they will often not go on to create as much music as those who are making their music as a full-time career – and those are the artists who need people to support them in buying their music. I personally know artists with thousands of fans and do a lot of live shows, but they're also barely making a living. So a musician or band to you could look like they're rich and doing well, it might not be that way, especially with indie bands. Only the top 1% of artists can consider themselves "rich", the rest just want to make a normal living from it, but they rely on their fans continuing to buy their music.

I really don't see how there's any legitimate excuse for not buying music… If you think the artists don't care if you don't pay for their music, why are they selling it? They could easily be giving it away freely, and there are artists who do this and experiment with other business models… But if they're selling it, then they are asking you to buy it. There's not a single artist in the world who wants to be famous and successful but at the same time have to work a part-time job in an electronics store so they can feed their family.

[Nermal]

If I like a song, I'll usually download it. If I like several songs from the same artist, I'll usually buy their CD. And occasionally I buy singles (usually to get videos that I can't find to download!)

It's incredible to look back on this post of mine from 2003 and see how much things have changed. I have an entire bookshelf filled with licensed music and movies now! Add the stuff from iTunes (which didn't exist back then) and my collection is bigger now than I every would have imagined.

[drewsof07]

Apple takes 1/3 of the 99 cent value of a song.
Source? I was under the impression that they hardly made anything from the actual sale of music. The main reason for iTunes (now) is to support the iPod which we know brings in TONS of revenue.

I tend to get most of my music from friends. They have amassed >30gb each of tunes on their Macs and we use an app called "Mojo" to swap songs on the local network. Most of their music comes from ripped CD's, Amazon downloads, and a few iTunes singles. I have super-slow internet at home, so if I ever download anything, it is the free "single of the week" on iTunes.

[EssentialParado]

Source? I was under the impression that they hardly made anything from the actual sale of music. The main reason for iTunes (now) is to support the iPod which we know brings in TONS of revenue.

You are correct, Apple don't really make anything from iTunes. They don't take 1/3, but they do take 30% – Same for sales on both the app store and the music store. The 30% goes toward server space, bandwidth, upkeep of iTunes, and the credit card processing fee. I also believe there's some sales tax in there as well for certain countries.

[FOXEO]

I believe that a disproportionately high number of people download music in place of paying for it, and that they typically misrepresent how much they do so.

[Cmpolcher]

I've enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I'm majoring in Recording Industry and one of my required courses is called American Media. It's a really interesting course where we discuss the history and social impact of the mass media... Anywhoozle, we had a lecture on P2P sites the other day. A couple of times on here I read people saying once artists start charging reasonable prices for their content, then they will start legally downloading it. This is funny because of the 99 cents one pays for a song, only roughly 12 cents goes to the artist, 30 cents at BEST (i.e. multi-million dollar guaranteed artists). So you really can't blame the artists for charging too much, in fact, Apple take 1/3 of the 99 cent value of a song.
The questions that come into existence here are generally, "What is a person's creative content really valued at? And aren't we devaluing this art (because it is an art form) by demanding no charge?" Understandably, people often consider the music to be a catharsis for the artist, so that should be enough, right? So what do you think? If making clothes is a catharsis for a person (i.e. fashion designers) should those clothes be free, too? Same thing goes for creating/making food... So personally, I don't believe that argument really applies.


That's also assuming The artist is even getting the 12 cents. With the 360 deals (a labels way of making up for lost sales essentially to cut expenses and increase income) which artists now typically have labels will negotiate a percentage as low as five percent to twenty five percent. Of EVERYTHING concerts, merchandise and sales. Artist earn very little from digital downloads. Especially when people don't even purchase the whole album. They get paid typically for only 10 songs even if there is more on the album (could be less or more depending on negotiation but average is 10). So artists in the end can easily be loosing 70% of all the revenue from managers the label publishers everyone who is apart of the 360 deal.

Now for p2p. Fun Fact: people who use p2p software are 60% more likely to buy the physical copy. So in essence people who use itunes are screwing artists over more than people who use p2p networks.
But feel free to disagree :) The music industry is slowly going down and there needs to be change.

[mac-ho]

No.

[stab244]

Nope... There are programs that let you download MP3s off of YouTube. So much more useful.

[doctorweb]

:rolleyes::rolleyes:^^^:rolleyes:
hey hey !
used to quite alot, but not so much anymore - Mainly 'cause I don't need to. I buy most of my music and that's the way I like it.

[ViViDboarder]

I've enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I'm majoring in Recording Industry and one of my required courses is called American Media. It's a really interesting course where we discuss the history and social impact of the mass media... Anywhoozle, we had a lecture on P2P sites the other day. A couple of times on here I read people saying once artists start charging reasonable prices for their content, then they will start legally downloading it. This is funny because of the 99 cents one pays for a song, only roughly 12 cents goes to the artist, 30 cents at BEST (i.e. multi-million dollar guaranteed artists). So you really can't blame the artists for charging too much, in fact, Apple take 1/3 of the 99 cent value of a song.
The questions that come into existence here are generally, "What is a person's creative content really valued at? And aren't we devaluing this art (because it is an art form) by demanding no charge?" Understandably, people often consider the music to be a catharsis for the artist, so that should be enough, right? So what do you think? If making clothes is a catharsis for a person (i.e. fashion designers) should those clothes be free, too? Same thing goes for creating/making food... So personally, I don't believe that argument really applies.
Personally, I think artists should enjoy the exposure they get from things like P2P sites, and if they are good enough, people will generate revenue by buying merchandise, tickets, etc. That money from those things generally gross higher than most CDs/digital downloads.
Just spouting random things I've learned about the music industry... I can't vouch for other media outlets (tv, movies, etc.), but the topic itself is really fun to discuss. Hope this is at least interesting (and comprehendible) to read. :)

The current form of content distribution is not working. Evident by the reason for this kind of arguement...

There are lots of bands who release their music either for free or at reasonable prices independently. When you have too many people taking a cut of the cost of something so small you really drive up the prices.

Right now a band could buy a cheap comptuer and soem software and do their own recordings, and plublish their songs as .mp3's on their own website. Content distribution is so simple now being an indenpendent artist is beyond easy. Cut out the record companies as the middle men and you have a much lower cost.

If a musician wants to go with a label so be it. If they want to get all the money they earn and want to get people to put up the money for the artists themselves, they need to distribute independently. Sure, submit it to iTunes. If it's true that Apple is taking $.33 out of every song purchase that means the artists could sell the songs on their website too for $.66 and make the same amount of money.

The music industry has changed. Anyone can produce music and anyone can distribute it. People want their media digitally and place the value on supporting the artists and not the labels.

The record company sees their revenue declines as a problem with the consumers but really they are the problem. It was one thing when people needed record companies to record and distribute Vynl or CD's but that day has come and gone. The Record Companies are living in the stone age and the artists need to embrace the new forms of media that exist. You see some bands doing this already such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Same with other smaller bands such as Bomb The Music Industry and Brad Sucks.

Someone needs to tell the RIAA to wake up and realize that their funeral has come and gone. It must have been fun exploiting artists like that, but now the there are better ways for people to express their creativity. Easier ways to distribute and advertise your songs. Internet radio like Pandora are incredible ways for indi artists to be discovered and when they are, new found fans will happily download all the songs they want from the artists (donations even if offered for free) and they will go see them in person the next time they are in town. This is the current direction of the industry and it should be adapted to and not resisted.

[thmommnc]

I accept with information: The user reviews and "if you like x we recommend y" system they have there is what the traditional music distribution industry should have developed 10 years ago. Now they have their lunch devoured by Apple, Amazon and the like and everyone is much happier.

[surgedc5]

i don't dl form p2p, i mostly dl from the itunes store or if the song i want is not on there i look somewhere else :cool:

[appledyl]

I used to go to Limewire for everything...got quite a lot of files through it in the past...

these days...if I can usually get them through some friends of mine...

also...I joined emusic.com a couple months ago...

my mp3 collection is doubled in size since... :eek:

Try Frostwire. Its free and has all of thee abilities of Limewire Pro as well as a built in torrenter.

[kitesforsale]

The current form of content distribution is not working. Evident by the reason for this kind of arguement...

There are lots of bands who release their music either for free or at reasonable prices independently. When you have too many people taking a cut of the cost of something so small you really drive up the prices.

Right now a band could buy a cheap comptuer and soem software and do their own recordings, and plublish their songs as .mp3's on their own website. Content distribution is so simple now being an indenpendent artist is beyond easy. Cut out the record companies as the middle men and you have a much lower cost.

If a musician wants to go with a label so be it. If they want to get all the money they earn and want to get people to put up the money for the artists themselves, they need to distribute independently. Sure, submit it to iTunes. If it's true that Apple is taking $.33 out of every song purchase that means the artists could sell the songs on their website too for $.66 and make the same amount of money.

The music industry has changed. Anyone can produce music and anyone can distribute it. People want their media digitally and place the value on supporting the artists and not the labels.

The record company sees their revenue declines as a problem with the consumers but really they are the problem. It was one thing when people needed record companies to record and distribute Vynl or CD's but that day has come and gone. The Record Companies are living in the stone age and the artists need to embrace the new forms of media that exist. You see some bands doing this already such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Same with other smaller bands such as Bomb The Music Industry and Brad Sucks.

Someone needs to tell the RIAA to wake up and realize that their funeral has come and gone. It must have been fun exploiting artists like that, but now the there are better ways for people to express their creativity. Easier ways to distribute and advertise your songs. Internet radio like Pandora are incredible ways for indi artists to be discovered and when they are, new found fans will happily download all the songs they want from the artists (donations even if offered for free) and they will go see them in person the next time they are in town. This is the current direction of the industry and it should be adapted to and not resisted.

Thanks all for contributing to this thread. Lots to read in this forum but I like it.

[adder7712]

Sadly, yes.

I did buy a couple of non-DRM MP3s.

[anvimsus]

I used to go to Limewire for everything...got quite a lot of files through it in the past...

these days...if I can usually get them through some friends of mine...

also...I joined emusic.com a couple months ago...

my mp3 collection is doubled in size since... :eek:

Thanks
Reply With Quote

[Razeus]

Yes. Everything that I can get my hands on. I only do complete albums though, none of this per song business.

With that said,

I will take the best of what I downloaded and go out and purchase the top stuff I really enjoyed listening to. I mean at least 90% of the album has to be good.

I use P2P has a way to filter my purchases and absorb the mass of content. And frankly, artists and execs should be thankful. They are getting free promotion at NO COST to them. It's the easiest way to promote an artist, especially a new one.

Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige and their respective companies recently got some money from me for their latest efforts. Because I was able to listen to the whole album and determined it to be good without the lame 30 second samples, going to a store and listening through headphones, 1 single that hits the radio ever 6-8 weeks. Nope, in the few minutes it takes me to get the torrent, I can take a week to see what's really good out there, then make my purchase.

Too bad the companies don't see it that way.

[kevinyoung03]

Its not an easy process. You should prefer a trained person for this purpose.

[macbooked]

yes, but i justify it because i'm deaf

[psingh01]

I hardly do anymore. I got most of what I wanted back in the napster days :D Don't care too much for newer stuff. If I want something and it's on iTunes or Amazon I just get it there if the price is ok. Saves me the time of looking for it.

Usually when I download stuff now it's bootlegs or stuff that isn't normally for sale anyway.

[Mr. McMac]

Anything I've ever downloaded over the years has been unavailable on CD.

[roadbloc]

Never. I hate piracy. I buy CD's. I love them.

[melchior]

yessum. but also buy tracks from itunes store and from artists directly. i haven't bought a cd in a store in 10 years.

[Graaah]

Why are some people proud of buying CDs? That just shows that you're willing to give all the money to the music company and want the musicians to earn only a fraction of a CD's price.

[Stinkysteve]

I'll buy albums from iTunes and direct through sites like DGM live to support the artists.

Sometimes I will download albums I own on vinyl from some of the music blogs to save time on converting and de-clicking them.

I will download live bootlegs in FLAC because there is no other way to find these around.

[unstablefears]

A bit of both, I'll download songs from Torrents or purchase them from iTunes. Guess it depends on how I'm feeling that day or whether I can find the CD I'm looking for for free.

[OGDaniel]

No, I don't steal

[addaminsane]

not just mp3's entire discographies

[sweetie81]

I usually buy CDs and record onto Minidisc. :)

[ThirteenXIII]

Rarely do I ever download them from P2P only hard to find, stuff I have on vinyl, Live good quality shows, etc.

I have a hard time trusting people who upload those files that they did a good job on converting the tracks into a sustainable or good quality rip.
Generally if I ever do buy a cd or record, its via Amazon or something of that nature. No point in getting ripped off at a retailer.

I dont understand peoples high & mighty deal about "buying" cds anyway.
most of the money is for the companies and bands pay more out of pocket for sessions anyway; bands like Radiohead & Nine Inch Nails have been doing alot of nice successful attempts at distributing their music for sale and free.
I really dont consider it piracy unless someone else is making money off the albums on these torrents, and generally I doubt they are, if so not much to very little.
To me its a rip off to go buy a record these days, to me thats a scam more than p2p.


To be honest if there was a Torrent or P2P site/program similar to say iTunes where they distributed Good lossless quality albums over and had a similar TOS to those of private torrent sites, keeping a good ratio and possible donations to distribute tons of discographies over a central locationa nd the artists could profit off of the amount of people seeding the files thatd be great, itd cut alot of the middle men out and make alot more albums and music available to people.
Incorporate some sort of traffic paysense/adsense with very little ads but some sort of way to redistribute funds back to the intended artists yet have an open and free range download database.
Etc etc.

one day, one day maybe lol

To each their own, as long as the music never stops; I'm good! :D

[wywern209]

i buy CD because i used to torrent but after a bit of time, no matter which way i put it, it was still like theft to me deep down and i felt guilty, so now i just buy CDs. Full quality and something that i have in physical. either that or i dld off of itunes store/ amazon mp3.

[wywern209]

Why are some people proud of buying CDs? That just shows that you're willing to give all the money to the music company and want the musicians to earn only a fraction of a CD's price.

Well, legally speaking, it is still stealing. While the robin hood mind set worked for a bit, it eventually hits u that it is still stealing. Wheter u rob a hut or mansion, u are still robbing, though the person in the hut will be hit more financially.

[CoolEnufForaMac]

Rarely, and it's only if I can't purchase the song legally.

[Sheeds]

I use Aquisition only about once every few weeks, though I've been using it more and more. I find it really useful for a fast and easy download on a single song. Otherwise I download full albums using Transmission and torrents.

[applemike]

I Generally only download from P2P if I have no money in the account I have linked to iTunes, but if I can afford it, i'll buy it.

[DJ FLEX]

Torrents/p2p are a risky source for downloading content. Besides that i'll DL music if it's an artist i like or a Audiobook of a favorite author. Torrents are the fastest by far. Depending on those ratios of course.

[bzollinger]

Nope, not for many many years. Back in the days of the original napster I downloaded some music. But the bit-rate was so bad that I've since deleted most if not all of it.

I still buy CDs of my favorite artists and an occasional song from iTunes if I like it.

[NIPRING]

I used to a lot more but i dont have any problems paying the .99 for a song here an there.

[netsocial]

Occasionally. I used to quite alot, but not so much anymore - Mainly 'cause I don't need to. I buy most of my music and that's the way I like it.

Thanks for your posting

[Sdashiki]

Thanks for your posting

No, thank you...and everyone else for simply stating in phrases: "yes/no/i used to".

Its really moving this discussion along.

Where are the quotes and comments!?

[NIPRING]

Ok, back when if you wanted to own music and you couldnt just steal it from the web, you bought albums, not just a song. But if you only liked a song you usually had to shell out for the whole damn album. Thats the kind of thing that started me P2P for music. But now that i can buy just about anything i'm looking for at just $.99 I dont feel like i'm being forced to pay for the content i dont want.

Hope this helps move the conversation along;)

[vukasin]

I do, it's just too easy not to, even though I do find it morally wrongish.

[macgrl]

nope. itunes or cd's for me:)

[StruckANerve]

Not unless I've already bought the disc. When I wanted to backup my CD's I found that some of them were scratched and wouldn't rip properly or that I had lost some of my music that I bought years ago. I do download movies though.:cool:

[kny3twalker]

I missed the poll, but yeah sure; why not?

[OutSpoken]

Back again... I have to say my circumstances are still the same. Only thing is I dont have internet readily availble at the moment.

What I find funny is the people who say "a song on itunes is only 99c its only 79p"...etc

If I converted all the downloaded songs and albums I got off of the internet over the last few years in to cash...We'd be talking something like £5000 !!! thats a hell of a lot of money to me...may not be to some of you.... but thats where we differ.

I contribute in other ways, by going to concerts and shows...Back in the day I would purchase a couple of new CD albums a week, but now in the digital streaming era who needs hard copies now... when all most people will do is rip them straight to the PC then onto your mp3 player.

...and like someone mentioned earlier, I listen to a lot of uncommercial music which wont be readily available on itunes and Amazon. Therefore I have to go elsewhere.

But tbh from where I'm standing, the music industry and signed musicians don't look hurt... all thats happened is the format to package and deliver music in return for money has changed, so in order for them to continue to make EASY money out of the industry they will have to come up with new and exciting ideas....

In regards to unsigned acts, free exposure is better than no exposure.

[the rookie]

no i stay away from them
if i find a song i like i may pull if off youtub
with toobl then build a audio cd from the mp4 files
but if i like the artist i will buy there cd it is only right
for them to get payed for there hard work
but i like allot of the young creative artist out there
today like Julia nunes or (First aid kid (the young Sweden sisters)
there is so many others like
Allison Weiss and even Greg Holden
they are all fantastic young artist
check the sisters out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlhFHSuWyOw

[tammyinkansas]

I've downloaded many files when Audiogalaxy (remember?) was out there. It was so cool - lots of music, run server at home but select files to download at work, good search functionality, very good use of bandw. - I really really loved it. Now there's Overnet, eMule, Kazaa & Co and I download two or three files a month. I have to admit I don't like these P2P nets at all. I would give Apple's system a try if the price is ok. I hope they don't make the same faults every company did in the past with too high prices.

Yes I LOVED Audiogalaxy! I had almost forgotten about that site till you mentioned it! Next I remember using Kazaa Lite. Now that I have a Mac I use Limewire-no problems yet.

[jick]

Someone famous and influential in the industry said, in a music trade show in europe, that artists in the future would gain more money performing than collecting royalties from their music...
it seems to be the case i guess, when i see all this pop "stars" doing commercial roadshows and advertising.
that said, not to offend anyone, i do buy a lot of music too, especially when i appreciate the artist!

[irishbearcub]

I don't. Why? Because A you don't know what your downloading, it could include a virus. B if I buy a track or two from Itunes it downloads the track, the cover and the info. Which I can't be bothered having to type in for a downloaded hack. I also find that when out and about I use Shazam when I hear a track I like, then do a search for it. I may possibly watch the video on Youtube, but I will download and pay for the song. Remember folks, if the pop stars and record companies don't get any revenue then they can't put out new artists, and you eventually wont have any songs to download from peer to peer sites. :D Lets face it, would you do something, and just let someone else take it from you. I don't think so.

[INeedAMacBook]

serioysly, use media fire, its SO quick, the fastest ive had download like like 300 kb per second i can download albums in minutes llol:D

[INeedAMacBook]

Not unless I've already bought the disc. When I wanted to backup my CD's I found that some of them were scratched and wouldn't rip properly or that I had lost some of my music that I bought years ago. I do download movies though.:cool:

i cba downloading movies, takes too long and usally they are the wrong fomat for itunes, were do you download movies from?

[ViViDboarder]

I don't. Why? Because A you don't know what your downloading, it could include a virus. B if I buy a track or two from Itunes it downloads the track, the cover and the info. Which I can't be bothered having to type in for a downloaded hack. I also find that when out and about I use Shazam when I hear a track I like, then do a search for it. I may possibly watch the video on Youtube, but I will download and pay for the song. Remember folks, if the pop stars and record companies don't get any revenue then they can't put out new artists, and you eventually wont have any songs to download from peer to peer sites. :D Lets face it, would you do something, and just let someone else take it from you. I don't think so.

False. Plenty of artists distribute their music on their independent sites or on iTunes without the use of a record label and then they get 100% of the profits. The labels are not needed and the artists barely make money off of them. Downloading of songs has a POSITIVE impact on concert attendance though.

Music labels don't like digital distribution for these reasons: it makes them useless and it allows purchases of single tracks. They don't want you to buy a single track because the label wants to sell a whole CD to you. This is so the label can make the artist rush through songs just to fill up a CD that has only a couple people want to hear. Instead, artists could now just use their laptops and record any song they think is good and release it. If they made a group of songs that they feel belong together, they can wait and release them together just like an album.

The concept of an album is, for the most part, dead. There are still some groups that release worthwhile albums, but I find that to be rare in today's pop scene especially. Also, record labels are no longer necessary (I explained in depth in an earlier post as well). They are scrambling right now and trying to stay afloat and picking battles where ever they can, regardless of what the impact is on the consumer or the artists.

[Trek2100]

I don't. Why? Because A you don't know what your downloading, it could include a virus. B if I buy a track or two from Itunes it downloads the track, the cover and the info. Which I can't be bothered having to type in for a downloaded hack. I also find that when out and about I use Shazam when I hear a track I like, then do a search for it. I may possibly watch the video on Youtube, but I will download and pay for the song. Remember folks, if the pop stars and record companies don't get any revenue then they can't put out new artists, and you eventually wont have any songs to download from peer to peer sites. :D Lets face it, would you do something, and just let someone else take it from you. I don't think so.

Agreed. No I don't for the above reasons and the fact that it is a federal (in the USA) copyright violation. If my client's made copies of my photographs I lose income. Photo stores will not make copies of copyrighted material or they could have their business' closed down.