Free music or Record Companies?

[Niwid]

What are your opinions on the whole music thing nowadays?

 

The way I see it, the two sides in this debate are the record companies and the downloaders.

 

Should downloading music for free be put to a stop? Or should the recording companies just drop the whole thing and be happy with the money they're getting (which is of course significantly less than what it used to be)?

 

I personally download files. However, if the record companies would lower the price of the CD's to say, around 5 bucks, I would buy them and delete all my P2P applications.

 

I also think that the record companies should pay more to the artists. I know when I buy a CD, like 10 cents goes to the artist and the rest to the company.....so there goes my old belief of "it supports the artist".

 

Well, that's my worthless 2 cents....anyone want to add theirs, let's debate this thing here.

[Heavyarms]

well, I think CD prices are redichulously expensive (I know that is spelled wrong.). They should definitely be only like 5-10 bucks so people would buy more of them.

[lukeiamyourdad]

What amazes me in this is that often the president of the record company makes millions every year and say that their employees and artists are losing a lot of money(not them of course not)...when you make millions you shut up. That's just something that bugs me.

 

Also might I say that not all the songs on an album are good(most of them averaging 3 or 4 good songs). This makes feel bad about paying 15$ for 4 good songs. If all the songs on an album were good people wouldn't complaint.

[scabb]

Downloading music is a good thing. It allows you to sample more obscure artists that don't appear on the radio as frequently as Miss Spears and friends, and I know if I like what I hear, I willingly invest in CDs that I wouldn't normally buy. If the music I download is bad, then I've stopped myself from buying music I don't like, and funding an artist who in my opinion doesn't deserve it.

 

In fact, file sharing applications have helped cash out of my pockets, and I now buy more music CDs than I used to. The same goes for movies and TV episodes too. I've been able to watch things I wouldn't normally be able to watch in the UK, such as the rarely shown Family Guy - of which I now own the DVD box sets.

 

Of course, when I head off to University next year and have to fend for myself, I won't be so willing to share my pennies.

 

The only industry where I've actually noticed this being a big problem is the games industry, which is why I tend not to bootleg games so often. I especially make it my business to buy adventure games, because I want to see more of them. I haven't noticed any record companies shut down because of shameless pirates, the staff at Sony Music seem to still have their jobs, and the average Hollywood blockbuster still costs just as much to make and makes the same amount of profit.

 

I won't be responsible for job losses, because the money I have in my pocket still gets spent, be it in industry A or industry B.

 

In conclusion, I am morally comfortable with the theft of intellectual material, and if hell is to be my eternal resting place, then so be it.

[Guest Jed]

scabb is right.

 

I've found that P2P software has actually made me buy more music in the past 6 months than I ever have. Sampling music should not be a crime, however I do see a problem in people who find that it is not worth buying a CD, and simply pirate entire albums when they enjoy that artist.

 

Games aren't like that. Games shouldn't be pirated, as sampling does not become an option when many manufacturers release free demos.

 

Needless to say, these opinions, and arguments won't make it to the music companies.

[SkinWalker]

I don't think that downloading/ripping music is going to go away anytime soon. In fact, I think it's going to become more and more efficient and qualitative.

 

This has definately had an effect on the recording industry sales, and I had a reference somewhere in the form of an online article... I'll have to dig it out to see what the extent of the effect is, but I remember sales being significantly lower in correlation to increases in P2P and CD ripping.

 

I think what the recording industry needs to do is modernize. It still operates under the 1960's album/single mentality. CD's contain on average 13 songs, come with a liner that has some credits to the arranger, band etc. Occasionally there are lyrics. This is nothing different than it was when I was buying vinyl back in the day.

 

I think that the record labels need to change their style. Offer promotional items with CD purchases. Include concert tickets in random packages; holographic stickers and cards; rear window/bumper stickers of the band; t-shirt coupons in random packages; better liner notes; screensavers, videos, etc. (though these could be P2P'd as well); and a host of other things I haven't even thought of.

 

The record labels also probably need to change their business habits and get over the habit of $100 lunch tickets for out of town guests and other huge expense account items that the big labels incur each day.

 

The independent artists and smaller labels swear by the Internet and P2P. They actually make money because their music is getting more exposure. One only needs to look at the Dave Matthews Band as a successful example.