Music, Movies, TV Shows, Oh My!

[Pandaboots]

Well, I'm finally past my boiling point about piracy, DRM, and egos.

Why do music artists, actors, producers, etc. etc. etc. etc. demand that their work is worth even more money and lesser quality than we are already spending?

First of all, let me say that I am a musician, lover of music, lover of TV and movies. I really feel that all of these have enhanced and continue to enhance my life. However, it's no secret that any successful music artist or actor rakes in huge sums of money. So much so that, assuming they don't blow it all or make stupid business decisions, every generation after them would never have to work even 1 second of their lives and live a better (financial) lifestyle than most people could dream of. Yet, the fame and fortune isn't good enough, they want more and more.

These people make more money in a year than the majority of well-educated, well-paid people could make in 4 lifetimes. I believe that everyone deserves to be compensated for their efforts whether your an accountant or a rock guitarist. I also believe that people shouldn't steal or not pay someone for their product or service.

Here's why piracy is still huge with music and movies. It boils down to a loss of freedom. Digital is here to stay, it's where we are and where we are headed...physical media is all but dead once the greed and stupidity are removed or stiffled. Why would I want to buy an inferior 128kbps AAC song with DRM, when there are 256kbps AAC or MP3 songs for sale out there that do not limit me personally to do whatever the hell I want to with the song? Same with movies and TV shows, why sell me or rent me a digital POS for the same price as the physical counterpart?

There has always been a free exchange between friends and family with music and movies. Whether it be lending someone a movie to watch, or bringing the movie you own to a friend's house to watch, etc. or making a friend a copy of a song that you love for them to check out, etc. etc. To me the end result is that the other person gets exposed to the song, movie , TV show and then begins to legitimately purchase on their own. It's human nature to want to possess something, vs. just renting it or having someone give you a copy.

If these idiots in charge of the digital revolution do not loosen their reigns, they are going to spoil not only the customer experience, but their own livelihoods and delay the inevitable digital revolution. It's just entertainment people, get over it. Consumers need to lighten up as well, we can stick with dvds and cds if these idiots do not meet our demands as consumers or continue to pirate digital copies until they open their eyes to the freedom they are taking away from us. In my opinion, pirating only takes place because the consumers wants are not met. We want quality DRM free music and movies...It's not about money. Any of us would gladly pay a fair price to own a quality product. The industry doesn't want to deliver this to us and their greed and stupidity is ruining it for us.

Ok I'm done ranting now...Does anyone feel the way I do or am I way off the mark?

 

[BreederCreature]

Sure, people who are already filthy rich aren't really affected by all this digital technology, but what about people just getting into the business?

It really sucks to think that when my band spends months writing and recording an EP by ourselves in our basement on our own money and time, the individual songs on the cd are considered to be worth less than one dollar.

From my understanding, when a band first starts out, it's pretty easy to keep pirating of your music under control. You're not too popular and you can sell your music at your own price (through cds or digital downloads via iTunes or SnoCap on myspace, but then they make some money off of your music too).

Once your band gets popular, people have the ability to find it on Limewire or even just burn it from a friend.

Musicians don't make very much money off cd sales anyway (unless they're huuuuge artists whos albums go number one when they come out), most of the money is made off touring and merch.

The whole music industry in changing and it's gonna be weird for a while until everything get figured out.

But yea, I don't agree with you at all. Sorry haha.

 

[Pandaboots]

Sure, people who are already filthy rich aren't really affected by all this digital technology, but what about people just getting into the business?

It really sucks to think that when my band spends months writing and recording an EP by ourselves in our basement on our own money and time, the individual songs on the cd are considered to be worth less than one dollar.

From my understanding, when a band first starts out, it's pretty easy to keep pirating of your music under control. You're not too popular and you can sell your music at your own price (through cds or digital downloads via iTunes or SnoCap on myspace, but then they make some money off of your music too).

Once your band gets popular, people have the ability to find it on Limewire or even just burn it from a friend.

Musicians don't make very much money off cd sales anyway (unless they're huuuuge artists whos albums go number one when they come out), most of the money is made off touring and merch.

The whole music industry in changing and it's gonna be weird for a while until everything get figured out.

But yea, I don't agree with you at all. Sorry haha.

Your songs are worth more than $.99 because you would sell them infinitely. Much the same way anything is sold..the more you sell the more money you make. But in order to sell lots of songs, they have to be priced right. Anyway, people are not pirating music because they can't afford to pay $.99 for it, they are pirating because the digital version is lesser quality and so restrictive.

Aside form that, you are completely wrong about bands not making much money on album sales. The last time I checked, musicians make music and sell that music to make a living. Gold and Platinum designations are given to albums sold. I really don't think that bands go in and record albums in hopes of good t-shirt sales. Touring is advertising for the album. Touring is a way to get people to experience a band and hopefully enjoy the show enough to buy that album and any previous or later ones to come. Otherwise, cds should be free and we can just pay their salaries through going to their concerts and buying posters. Anyway, yea if you are a local band playing clubs, you're income comes from gigs. If you are a professional band signed to a record label..you are making wads of cash selling albums and promoting those sales through concerts...doesn't hurt to go ahead and sell merchandise too to pad the wallet. Then you get royalties every time your song is played on the radio or used in a movie or used in a commercial, etc. etc.

Although I don't condone pirating of music, it will continue to be more of an issue with DRM than without DRM. Imagine if everything you bought from clothes to a candy bar had quality and limitation issues just because it's being sold in a different format....

By the way, the filthy rich are the people who bitch the most and are causing the problems. Like I said, it's just music or a movie...it's not that noble of a profession.

 

[theBB]

AFAIK, musicians get about $1 for each CD sale and the studios subtract the marketing costs before they actually start paying them anything. I think you should try researching a bit before you make claims based on your hunches.

Even though it does not seem like it would make sense, most musicians make money through concerts and merchandising.

 

[John.B]

Even though it does not seem like it would make sense, most musicians make money through concerts and merchandising.

Yup.

What's worse for the musician is that the recording artists make NOTHING off of terrestrial radio airplay, only the songwriter gets airplay royalties. Allegedly because airplay generates album sales -- except that that's not really true anymore in the digital age. Also, there was an article recently on Ars where many artists with old-school record contracts aren't getting a dime from digital music sales either.

Concerts and merchandising is the one place a band can still make money without the record labels and NAB skimming all of their proceeds.

 

[LethalWolfe]

These people make more money in a year than the majority of well-educated, well-paid people could make in 4 lifetimes.

By "these people" I'm assuming you mean the top 1% right? 'Cause by and large if you gamble working in the entertainment industry all you are gonna get is a boatload of debt and a trip back to "9-to-5" job land after you've crashed and burned.

Ok I'm done ranting now...Does anyone feel the way I do or am I way off the mark?

I have to chalk this one up to well intentioned, but grossly uniformed so "off the mark" it is, IMO.

The real question is, IMO, why do so many people think they deserve to get sh*t for free? The people abusing the system are the ones creating a headache for everyone else (consumers and content producers).


Lethal

 

[BreederCreature]

I'm not trying to attack you, I'm just going through what I believe you're mistaken on:

Your songs are worth more than $.99 because you would sell them infinitely.

My songs are worth whatever I feel they're worth since I wrote them and recorded them myself. I don't have anyone to pay off for advances.

Anyway, people are not pirating music because they can't afford to pay $.99 for it, they are pirating because the digital version is lesser quality and so restrictive.

What it boils down to is no one wants to pay for music anymore, and I can't blame them if they can find it for free.

Aside form that, you are completely wrong about bands not making much money on album sales.

No I'm not.

Anyway, yea if you are a local band playing clubs, you're income comes from gigs. If you are a professional band signed to a record label..you are making wads of cash selling albums and promoting those sales through concerts...doesn't hurt to go ahead and sell merchandise too to pad the wallet.

The complete opposite. The only way for you to get a local band's music/cd is to buy it directly from them at a show, or order/download it from their website where they will more than likely have it up for money. If you search for any local band in your favorite pirating software, you will more than likely not find any of their material.

On the other hand, search for a band that's very popular and you will definitely find their music, where it is now free. They are the ones that rely more on ticket sales and merch rather than music sales.

By the way, the filthy rich are the people who bitch the most and are causing the problems. Like I said, it's just music or a movie...it's not that noble of a profession.

I find that true, the filthy rich people are complaining the most, but they are not causing the problem, you are.

I also find that musicians who are effected the most by illegal downloading seem to not complain about it very much, which I would say is pretty noble...