Pirating Songs wrong w/ iTunes Match Service?

[Todisco]

What are everyone's thoughts on downloading songs through a torrent site if I pay for iTunes Match service - since the artist gets paid every time I play the song. Morally Wrong or not Morally Wrong ; Illegal or not Illegal???

Just seeing if I need to discuss my downloading habits next time I go to confession at church...

 

[bogatyr]

The artist isn't paid per use as far as I know. $25/yr isn't enough to pay every artist someone plays in a year.

$10/album isn't very expensive. When I was in college I was all for pirating but now that I have a job I pay for everything I use. If I feel a price doesn't match the service or product, I go without said service or product. Just my opinion.

 

[AdrianK]

I pay for iTunes Match service - since the artist gets paid every time I play the song.

Well they still aren't getting the initial payment, and you don't know much much they'll earn from match compared to the initial sale (could be virtually nothing, look at Spotify...).

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Consider this:

if you download anything you want, and pay Apple $25/yr for iTunes Match, it's basically a $25/yr subscription service. Most subscription services (like Zune) cost $120/yr, so you're basically paying 1/10th of what you "should" pay, as set by the RIAA.

But again, that's $25/yr that the industry wouldn't otherwise get.

I don't have a definative answer, I've struggled with this mind game myself.