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Your views on downloading music... For or Against?

adams

Golden Member
I'd like to hear people's reasons for why they do or don't download music. I'm talking non-paid downloading. Any reasons would be good to hear- legal, moral, emotional- whatever.

Thanks 🙂

P.S. The paper is on intellectual property rights and she is focussing on downloading music.
 
I used to download music all the time (illegally) but now I just listen to XM and local radio stations. I doubt my comment will help ya, but oh well.
 
I download because in all seriousness, the artists really don't need to make millions more when they already are better off than 95% of the world financially.
 
I download b/c without it, I would never find so many of the bands that I listen to (and subsequently go to their shows, where they make the real money in music).
 
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I download b/c without it, I would never find so many of the bands that I listen to (and subsequently go to their shows, where they make the real money in music).

This is true also, a big bulk of their income comes from touring, not CD sales.
 
Originally posted by: nboy22
Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I download b/c without it, I would never find so many of the bands that I listen to (and subsequently go to their shows, where they make the real money in music).

This is true also, a big bulk of their income comes from touring, not CD sales.

Especially if they are starting up, since any royalties that they make from their first CD sales are all used towards "paying back" the record company for all of those recording/advertising costs.
 
I download illegally because it's a way to strike back at the record companies for gouging consumers on CD prices for years and years. That and it's more convenient than running to the store to buy a CD, if they even had it in the first place.

Lastly, I don't download legal music because there are too many restrictions on it. Can't do this, can't do that...

I do it because I know it peeves the RIAA mainly.
 
Growing up recording music on tape from the radio I have no ethical problem with downloading a tune. It is a great way to preview and has led to me buying cds I wouldn't have otherwise. I avoid DRM controlled music because all it does is restrict usability. DRM adds no benefit to the consumer.
 
If my mom allows me to get the CD i'll buy the CD every time. Unfortunately, some of the music I like my mom doesn't *ahem*, "approve" of. So I download it.

EDIT: and I'm not talking full CD's here, I mean just a few songs that I want i'll download. I'd say I download about 2 songs or so a month.
 
I'm all for it... free advertising. I bought tons of CDs in the heyday of Napster. If I was a record company, I'd be seeding the P2P networks with 128kb MP3s singles from all albums. Try to generate interest.

Of course, since the RIAA has become so draconian with the lawyers and all that, I don't download or buy any music anymore. I used to buy 50 cds/year. None now. Their loss. Though I doubt they notice with all the little kids buying the latest 50 cent album.
 
Originally posted by: Crescent13
If my mom allows me to get the CD i'll buy the CD every time. Unfortunately, some of the music I like my mom doesn't *ahem*, "approve" of. So I download it.

EDIT: and I'm not talking full CD's here, I mean just a few songs that I want i'll download. I'd say I download about 2 songs or so a month.

We are SO calling your mom...!!
 
Originally posted by: adams
I'd like to hear people's reasons for why they do or don't download music. I'm talking non-paid downloading. Any reasons would be good to hear- legal, moral, emotional- whatever.

Thanks 🙂

i download music by bands who allow or encourage free trading of their *live* music. and since i enjoy live music most, its pretty well all i have, aside from a few ripped albums i bought myself.
 
I think it's fine if you want to preview and album. If you like it and want to listen to it, buy it. That's what I do. I really wish 90% of the money from CD sales went to the artists. The current system is crap.
 
Originally posted by: FeuerFrei
Growing up recording music on tape from the radio I have no ethical problem with downloading a tune. It is a great way to preview and has led to me buying cds I wouldn't have otherwise. I avoid DRM controlled music because all it does is restrict usability. DRM adds no benefit to the consumer.

exactly. I always used to record music on tapes, and no one ever said anything about it.

I don't try to pretend it's not a moral grey area, but people equating it with stealing are taking it too far. How is it "theft" if the original owner still has the product? Also, a lot of my music ISN'T the mainstream American stuff, so it's not like I could get the CDs here anyway. And I wouldn't buy the CDs I could get at $20 a pop, so basically they're not losing any money when I download...they're just not gaining any.
 
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