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.

I hate the current setup of the music industry. It is unfair to both artists and fans. The RIAA and the like need to do some serious reform!!!

I completely agree, I don't illegally download bands that I love, but like you, sometimes I don't know if I want entire albums. Remember before the downloading age when you had to buy whole CD's even if you only liked 1 or 2 songs on the disc? It's so much more financially sensible these days to be able to download singles songs. Does anyone else use Napster, too?

Hm. This is a good point. Isn't it possible, even in those cases, to find ways to get their music from more equitable labels, though? Or do they only publicize through EMI/Sony uniquely?

I listen on the internet if a band is worth buying a cd of. And I know many others who do too. So I guess that bands which get downloaded wouldn't get money if these downloads weren't available. It only ups popularity, which makes it more likely they get gigs, and gigs and merchandise is the real financial support behind a band.

I usually download an album, listen to it, and if I like it, I buy the actual album. If I don't like it, then I delete the album and don't end up wasting my money. I guess you could call it a 'test-listen'.

I don't see any problem with doing this.

Well, aside from the fact that the 'honor' lies in the eye of whoever's downloading, I actually agree with you. That sort of 'previewing' seems to be what Napster's trying to deal with, with their 'free five listens' - it's just like previewing a song in-store.

I download music excessively, cuff me up and take me to jail.

I download and buy, and I can see both sids of the coin, but due how the state of msuic ecliend so mcuh in a certain era I can see why downaloders do what they do nowdays I think it should be try befroe you buy, who wants to keep getting screweed by only a handful of good songs when you can take al the songs and brun them to a compilation CD
I tend to go now with if you really raelly liek it buy it, that's tyour stamp approval and telling the artsit 'hey keep it up!'

if you buy music from a band thats signed to SonyBMG (or its subsidiaries - its amazing how many 'independant' labels are now part of it) then you'll give them money... whether its from shows, the bands themselves, online, amazon, anywhere. those labels have complete control.

and just cause i hate this company so much.. this is the list of labels owned by sony BMG. just so you know.... buying from Rough Trade for example is not supporting an independant label but this company which ownes 26% of all world sales.


BMG International Companies
Brightside Recordings
Bros Records
Columbia Records
Caribou Records
Epic Records
Legacy Recordings
Ode Records
Ravenous Records
RCA Music Group
RCA Records
Phonogenic Records
Arista Records/J Records
RCA Victor Group
RCA Victor
Bluebird Records
Windham Hill Records
Provident Music Group
Provident Label Group
Brentwood Records
Benson Records
Essential Records
Beach Street Records
Reunion Records
Praise Hymn Music Group
Provident Special Markets
Provident-Integrity Distribution
Sony BMG Nashville
Arista Nashville
BNA Records
RCA Nashville
Sony BMG Masterworks
RCA Red Seal
Sony Classical
deutsche harmonia mundi
Arte Nova Classics
Sony Music International
Sony Wonder
Sony Urban Music
Zomba Music Group
Epidemic Records
La Face Records
Jive Records
Music for Nations Records
Pinacle Records
Rough Trade Records
Silvertone Records
So So Def Records
Verity Records
Volcano Records
X-Cell Records
RED Distribution


Labels under the EMI banner

Angel Music Group
Innocent Records
Hollywood Records - (Owned by The Walt Disney Company distribution by EMI only in Europe, Australia and New Zealand)
Apple Records (distribution)
At Large Recordings
Blue Note
Capitol Records
Gold Label Records (Hong Kong)
Mosaic Records (50% share)
The China Record Co. (China)
Chrysalis Records
DFA Records
Electrola (Germany)
EMI Christian Music Group
Forefront Records
Sparrow Records
Tooth and Nail Records
BEC Recordings
Solid State Records
Uprok Records
EMI Classics
EMI Films
EMI Gospel
EMI Latin
Food Records (distributed by Parlophone)
Forefront Records
GramCo (India)
Harvest Records
Heavenly Recordings
His Master's Voice
Mute Records
Blast First
The Fine Line
Future Groove
The Grey Area
Novamute
Parallel Series
Thirteenth Hour Recordings
Narada Productions
Odeon Records
Parlophone
Path Orient (China)
Pathé Records
Pomaton EMI
Positiva
RAK Records
Real World
Regal Zonophone Records
Reliquias (contains music from the old Odeón)
S-Curve Records (licensing and distribution)
SBK Songs
Sparrow Records
Sixsteps Records
Toshiba-EMI (Japan)
Virgin Records
10 Records
Astralwerks
Circa Records (traded as EMI/Virgin strategic marking TV label from 90s)
Siren Records
VC Recordings - also traded as Hut Records
Worship Together


universal...

Interscope-Geffen-A&M
A&M Records
Geffen Records
Interscope Records
Aftermath Entertainment
Cherrytree Records
Doghouse Records
G-Unit Records
Kickball Records
Maloof Music
Mosley Music Group
MySpace Records
Shady Records
Star Trak Records
Tiny Evil Records
Vagrant Records
Weapons of Mass Entertainment
The Island Def Jam Music Group
Def Jam Recordings
Dame Dash Music Group
Def Soul Records
Disturbing tha Peace Records
The Inc. Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Russell Simmons Music Group
Island Records
Lost Highway Records
Roadrunner Records
Universal Motown Records Group
Universal Motown Records
Blackground Records
Cash Money Records
Motown Records
Street Records Corporation
Universal Republic Records
Casablanca Records
Next Plateau Records
Republic Records
Rowdy Records
Tuff Gong Records
Universal South Records
Uptown Records
Verve Music Group
Blue Thumb Records
Brunswick Records
Commodore Records
Coral Records
Decca Records (Its jazz holdings only.)
GRP Records
EmArcy Records
Impulse! Records
Verve Records
Verve Forecast
Barclay Records
Bite Records
Cinepoly
Decca Records (Its classics holdings only.)
Go East Entertainment
Hip-O Records
Hollywood Records (Owned by The Walt Disney Company, distributed by UMVD in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the rest of Latin America only)
Impact Records
Isadora Records - Canadian imprint, run by Hawksley Workman
Jazzland Records
MCA Nashville Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Nashville Records
Vertigo Records
Motor Music Records
Nhi Le Records
Philips Records
Polar Music
Polydor Records
Fascination Records
Radioactive Records
RMM Records
Stockholm Records
Urban Records
Universal Classics Group
Universal Music Group Nashville
Universal Music TV
Universal Music Limited
UCJ Universal Classics & Jazz


Warner...

The Atlantic Records Group
Atlantic Records, founded in 1947 as an R&B label
Bad Boy Records, a hip-hop label founded in 1993 by Sean "Diddy" Combs
Elektra Records, founded in 1950 as a folk music label
Lava Records
Independent Label Group
Asylum Records, founded in 1971 by David Geffen
Cordless Recordings
Sub Pop
East West Records serves as a collection of in-house "indie" labels
Adeline Records
Better Looking Records
The Bevonshire Label
Broken English
Floodgate Records
Liberty & Lament
Montalban Hotel
One Eleven Records
Perfect Game Recording Co.
Tent Show
Triple Crown Records
Volcom Entertainment
We Put Out Records
Rhino Entertainment, originally a comedy label, now known for its nostalgia releases
Ryko Corporation
Rykodisc Records & subsidiary labels.
Warner Brothers Records, launched by Warner Bros. pictures in 1958
Maverick Records, founded by Madonna in 1991.
Nonesuch Records, a pioneer in releasing world music
Reprise Records, founded by Frank Sinatra in 1960
Sire Records, founded 1966, launched The Ramones and Madonna
Warner Jazz
Warner Nashville
Warner Western
Word Entertainment
Word Label Group
Word Records, a Christian music group founded 1951
Squint Entertainment
Word Publishing
Word Distribution
Word Music
Warner Music International
Warner Music UK
London Records (originally the U.S. label for Decca)
679 Records
1967 Ltd
Must Destroy Records (distribution)
The Beats (labels deal)
WSM (warner.esp)
Warner Music Australia











yeah im bored.

i go to as many shows as humanly possible - i feel that's the best way to get money into the pockets of the bands I like...

My god, it's like Phillip-Morris. That's frightening. Awesome research, man.

Of course the problem with this is that 1) it's a bit silly, and 2) so many people do it that it'd create an impossible influx of prison manufacturing. (which would likely bankrupt everyone). So eh.

i go to as many shows as humanly possible - i feel that's the best way to get money into the pockets of the bands I like...
[quote]
This works. Of course not everyone can make it to those shows.

123. It's not my fault that someone made it so that I can download albums off the internet without having to pay for them.

LOL. that's a lot like saying "OMG! It's not my fault someone loaded the gun I shot him with!"

^no its not.
the convienience is there, why not use it while you can..
its not that damaging to the industry.
theres plenty of merchandise & shows & shizz out there.
& people always have band loyalty; if you like a band enough then youre gonna support them.
meh, the whole downloading "problem" is so spun out of proportion.

Yes... But there are also plenty of people who don't even know the names of the bands whose music they're listening to.

i download the music and give the band credit for making it. I dont think the band has a problem with it, they get paid more in concert money anyway, their getting more people to listen to their music so that means more fans.

I use Napsterlinks a lot too. They've got a great selection and you can actually listen to entire songs.

This is true. Popularity is attained by more people listening to music :P