Legalized Music
 

Free downloading has become something known and almost accepted, at this point. The problem is that this obsession with the idea that ' it's my music, so you can't have it for free' is, in my mind, reasonable - after all, if you've done the work (making the music), why can't you get paid?

At the same time, controlling this media is likely to become incredibly difficult. People don't want to pay for what they don't have to. But if no one pays for music, how can the artists, who work so hard to make it, survive? Might music be relegated to a hobby only?

I've heard the argument that people can get paid for concerts - after all, they didn't pay for the CD's to be made - but I can't help but feel that if someone who invents something should get a fair share of it, someone who writes music should.

Which brings me to the idea of MMO-type services, where you'd pay ten dollars a month to access as many songs as you like. A la Napster or Itunes. Napsterlinks-type extras are a bonus, and both of the services would need a lot more variety in their databases but...

And this is good and fine, until you realize that the artist is getting essentially none of this money. Less than 10%. Less than the label, less than the site.

This isn't right.

But how can it be changed?

You see, I use Napster and NapsterLinks sooo much. I used to buy the individual songs, but then realized it's cheaper for me to get a year subscription, since it's the only unlimited flat fee service out there. I love NapsterLinks in discussion boards like this cause its easy to link directly to the song you're talking about.
But in response to your question, at this point in the evolution of music downloading, there's not really much the consumer can do to change the way our money is distributed to the artist. I feel I'm giving back by paying for the subscription since I'm not illegally downloading anything for free. Rather, I am taking advantage of a legitimate service while feeding my own music desires.

I'm not speanding my money buying music from EMI or Sony, I'll freely download their music and support labels that deserve my money and actually give the artist a fair return for their music.

if the album is on an honest independant label who pay their artists well.. then buy the CDs!! not from HMV (label get about £1.50, band get less) but from the label or the band direct. SUPPORT INDEPENDANTS!

also, if its the bands you want to get a fair deal.. buy CDs from shows. the bands on our label get paid in CD form, its up to them to make their profit by selling their albums themselves at their gig. they probably won't make money from the show itself, but everything made from merch goes to them. this only applies to bands on tiny labels but hey..




ps. i'm very anti-mp3, but i'll never moan at anyone for downloading stuff from SonyBMG!

i download stuff for free if i have it on vinyl..or i cant find it anywhere else

I always bring this up in threads like this but i'm not paying 800 dollars for a 7" record.

that is rediculous. you could never play it in case it scratched!

i do love vinyl but the most ive ever paid for something is about £30. and yeah, if you buy it on vinyl then downloading is fair... i tend to buy the cd too though (if it exists). i think im addicted to those shiny silver circles..

It depends.
I don't download crap. I may burn CDs but I never download because I feel like it takes a way from myf andom.
if Ilike a band I'll buy their cd just so Ic an say I'm a fan and to back it up I bought that CD.
That and downloading takies a lot a way from the industry. And i have a crumby computer.:wavey:

As for vinyl. I have The Smiths and some other bands on vinyl because I couldn't find CDs for these bands and I just happen to have one of those really old record players.
I will never spend more than 20 bucks for vinyl. I am sorry. I am not Dave Chapelle, I am not rich, and I don't have 800 bucks to waste thatw ay. Plus I'm gonna be going to collee soon and with the tuition some colleges charge I can definitely afford to be stupid cause 50 grand a year is. . . a lot

Peace

If you're a real fan buy the album for christs sake, or download 2-3 songs and see if you like them, same with checking out new bands download a couple of songs and then buy the albums!

Actually smaller bands on major labels tend to be worse off than bands on independent labels because the overheads are higher.

I suggest you read Steve Albini`s state of the music industry page.