I like downloading music.

[Dork]

I download music and I buy as many records as ever. I end up buying stuff I instantly hate a lot less, though, and buy things which I already know I like instead. It should be noted that record labels want to prevent people from avoiding the embittering experience of wasting hard-earned money on bad CDs. Among other things, I think that speaks volumes about the confidence they have in the music they release.

I have bought numerous albums that I already had on my computer. If a band's music truly speaks to me, then I will buy the album even if I already downloaded it. I want the artwork, I want to read the lyrics, I want to see who they thank, I want to hear the album with the tracks in the order they wanted them, with the highest sound quality, and I want to support those bands. The fact is, if I download your music and don't end up buying it, it's because I don't like your music. To those "artists" I say get a job doing something you're good at.

I think the most important thing, and it bears repeating, is that it's not like I spend less money on CDs, LPs and tapes since I started dabbling in online file-sharing. My money is, however, spent more wisely: I think that the specific "crime" that the record labels want to stop is the crime of consumers informing themselves in order to make informed decisions about what music to buy.

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. good post

I agree with you.

I also think it is fair payback for the oligopoly, corroborating to make CDs priced at $18.99 for many years instead of the fair market price of $11-13. CDs were supposed to be cheaper than tapes. The companies also threatened and bribed music stores NOT to have discounted prices.

[plcdude]

2. does anyone know

what the best argument is in defending file sharing and the downloading of music? It seems to me that the media is not giving both sides of the issue. Copywrited material is copied all the time.

[dani]

3. I may or may not be a MP3 downloader

but if I am I've discovered a lot of great indie groops (by illegally downloading their MP3s) whose albums I have then purchased at Tower Records and who I've then gone to see play live when they came to my town. I think for a lot of indie musicians the MP3 trading has actually been a positive thing.

[Dork]

5. paranoid?

And for good reason, I'd say. Actually, I am only confident that the RIAA won't come after me despite my incendiary post (sarcasm) because of my 2000 or so downloaded files, about 3 are from major labels, and I don't let people download those. And I agree, I've gone to see shows as well as bought CDs and t-shirts at those shows based on what I downloaded.

[German-Lefty]

4. Stop Supporting Piracy -- burn your own CDs

Check out what Courtney Love has to say about the RIAA.
http://trowbridgeplanetearth.com/T2/news/PiracyMusic.html
http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/06/14/love/index.html

I think we need to boycott record labels esspecially the ones participating in this latest round of attacks. If we stop buying their music and record sales drop say 20%, maybe they'll stop it.

The big record companies the screw artrists.
They are about to screw stores, but cutting them out and selling their music online.
They love screwing their customers.

Why do we put up with them anyway? If you love a band, go to a show, buy a t-shirt, or give em a donation. They don't get any money from record sales anyway, unless they're already rich like Metalica and have finished thier indentured service.
:grr: