Where do you stand on the topic: "downloading free music should/shouldn't be illegal?'?

I’d love for everything to be free, but that’s not realistic. Piracy drives up the prices for the people who are playing by the rules. Also, most musical artists are not super rich. Many struggle.

Do what you want, ‘cause a Pirate is free, I am a Pirate.

I support illegal downloading. I only download music from major artists. When they are poor and struggling to make ends meet instead of having 3 houses, I will pay for it.

but then again, i haven’t downloaded or bought any music in years. most of the stuff out there is not even worth pirating.

Musicians might make a lot of money, but it’s not like all your money goes straight to Kanye West when you buy his CD. Your purchase also supports the engineers, the owners of the studios, the guy working his way through college by working at Best Buy, the lady who feeds her kids with her job at the CD factory, and, well, people like me.

What would you say if some homeless guy went rummaging through your fridge and closet, because compared to him, you’re rich and have enough clothes, enough food? Is that a good reason to take something that all those people have worked on?

It should continue to be illegal, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing it…

I’m fine with Amazon and iTunes. But when there’s music I like that’s obscure (I like a lot of obscure foreign music), then I’m going to do whatever I can to get it, and often, that means downloading it illegally.

There are lots of legal options. Plus, music is not something you NEED. Food and water you need. Music is a privilege.

I like the free listening via Last.FM and Pandora. As to the monthly fee you mentioned, Rhapsody and eMusic offer that.

In the past 6 years I’ve lived in 3 cities, always near a public library with 1000s of CDs.

And when want to buy a particular song, Amazon or iTunes probably has it for $0.99.

I download illegally. If I like what I hear, I buy that artist’s stuff in the future. If I don’t like what I hear, I don’t buy OR download. Studies (which I don’t currently have sources for) have shown that this is how most people operate. So, really, the only artists who should be against free downloads… are the ones who suck.

The delivery of music used to cost quite a bit of overhead. You got the talent scout, the agent, the manager, the cost of the plastic or vinyl, the production costs, the delivery costs, etc.

Now, the delivery of music costs almost nothing. We are in a new paradigm. The producers of music deserve to be paid, but retail costs have not adjusted to new realities.

If the Industry sold their mp3 songs at 25 cents apiece, then people would buy tens of thousands of songs over their lifetime.

The Industry is STILL trying to squeeze out anywhere from $1.00 a song mp3 or $20 for a CD set. They are practically begging for people to “steal” from them.

In this modern age, consumers expect to own thousands of songs, not just a few dozen albums. And since the digital revolution makes this possible, it should be done.

The Industry can either lower its prices to something the market will go for, or it can keep driving the market towards what they call “theft” (even though it’s only copying, not actually physical stealing).

Most consumers I know who “steal” music, actually only “steal” it after they’ve spent a lot of money legitimately buying it. When the money runs out, and you know you can find a copy of a song, there is no moral or market-driven motivation to not do so. The Industry must adapt to this. Time for 25 cent downloads.

Due to the illegal downloading of music, musicians now make more money from concerts than CD sales. The last time Dylan was in town, tickets went for $200, which is insane.

Music that I love, I buy on CD anyway. I illegally download music I otherwise would not bother buying. So that’s how I rationalize it in my head :)

Alot of artists are for ilegally downloading, because it gets them noticed and some actually see the beauty in a band, seeing its cool just to be known.

@laureth I see what you mean, I since stress in that message, I know some bands are not rich, but thats where a job comes in. I personally feel (I’m in a band) music as a pastime because its just hanging out, doing something your good at, and a job is something you do to become an adult, and raise a family or simply because its a mature thing to start at the 14–18 year old time. I didn’t mean to sound greedy in my topic.

I have great passion for music, Rap, Metal, Rock is what I enjoy, but any Musician is good at what they can do i guess.

Thanks everyone, some of your Sides give me ideas why to buy and why not? Again thanks, and keep em coming!

I don’t download music anymore. Not because I get my panties tied in a knot and regurgitate “THAT’S ILLEGAL!!!”, but because quality of the music is utterly destroyed on the computer. Your computer is not a record player. Buy a record player, get some vinyls, and get back to me if you disagree. If you would excuse me, I’ve been dying to play my Miles Davis vinyls all day long.

@PretentiousArtist
I like my music without hearing the dust particles that the needle scratches over.
My dad had a record player and the crackle in the sound totally killed it for me (the music itself was crap too)
And since I am not an Audiophile, the quality on my PC is completely adequate.
Not to mention the fact that the music I like doesn’t come on vinyls and… who is Miles Davis?

From Cnet

“Who are they after?
According to a widely distributed Associated Press article, the “president of the Recording Industry Association of America?said lawyers will pursue downloaders regardless of personal circumstances because it would deter other Internet users.” Close, but no cigar. Although downloading music without permission does infringe on the copyright holder’s exclusive right to make copies, it won’t immediately put you on the list. The RIAA isn’t after downloaders. Though the distinction is lost on some reporters, it’s uploaders who need to watch their backs. The RIAA has always had more interest in cutting off file trading’s supply side than stemming (or dare I suggest?—meeting) the demand for online music. But if you’re sharing lots of files, you might hear from your ISP at some point. ”

Article One – Who are the After

Article Two – RIAA final Say

Miles Davis

It doesn’t matter if one person or one billion people want music on the internet to be free and easily accessible; it will never be legal. We live in a capitalistic society, and if you don’t pay people for their work, they won’t do it.

This is not to say that giving away creative works on the internet wouldn’t be a great marketing tool; Cory Doctorow gives away eBooks of his work every time a new one is released, but he is supported by the people who go and buy physical copies of his books. He’s not a superstar celebrity, so if people didn’t buy his work, he’d have to stop writing and get a job that actually pays him.

Does there need to be a restructuring of payment for artists? Sure. Maybe we don’t need to make musicians and actors into mega-superstars, but the market created this. The money wouldn’t have been generated if people weren’t willing to spend it. Hopefully all the illegal downloading will bring the prices back down to earth.

Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme are the 2 best jazz albums ever.

Illegal for sure. Pirates are ridiculous, and I do not want to hear any of your retarded rationales justifying your behavior.

@PretentiousArtist

Your computer is not a record player.

No, it’s not. It’s a lot better than a record player. It actually has all the music I like, doesn’t crackle, and I can take it with me.

@PretentiousArtist And if you want your computer to be a record player, you download a record player Gen. app

In the words of Immortal Technique, “Burn it off the fucking internet, and bump it outside.”

Piracy in general will eventually hurt any kind of industry, if people keep pirating, the artist and company’s won’t make the money to keep them going. It takes a lot of money just to promote and record..

Do i pirate stuff anyways? Hell yeah!!! GARRR IM A PIRATE!!!!!!