Downloading Music

[JaiJai]

Russian Web site angers music industry
Site sells songs for pennies, albums for less than $1


MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- A Russian Web site that lets visitors download albums for less than $1 is a smash hit with music fans -- but not with U.S. trade and music industry officials.

The site is a pirate, they allege, and say Russia's failure to close it down presents a direct obstacle to the country's negotiations to join the World Trade Organization.

The site, they allege, amounts to a haven for music pirates. They say it presents a direct obstacle to Russia's negotiations to join the World Trade Organization.

Russia is already the second-biggest source of pirated music film and software in the world after China -- costing U.S. companies nearly $1.8 billion last year, according to anti-piracy groups. The Web site -- Allofmp3.com -- just adds to the dispute.

The site's knockdown prices make it a strong draw.

Do you think people should be able to download music for free/cheap?
Should it affect Russia's membership to the WTO?
Discuss

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/tweesa/Music2.gif

[Metall_fan]

I've seen those websites (I think there is more than one, or they all lead to the same host in the end) two-three years ago when I was looking to get some music. 99 cents per album I think is what they charged, but:
a. paying for internet services is against my religion
b. even if they charged a penny per album I wouldn't be so quick to give them away my credit card number

anyway, I then discovered limewire, and always get what I want from there, sometimes easily, sometimes not, but its all there allright.

[JaiJai]

I'm somewhat torn on the subject...

I'm passionate about music, but even moreso in the past 5 years. The simple truth is, if I had not been able to download songs, I'd have never experienced certain types of music, such as trance, dancemixes, not near as much hip hop, Goa, techno, etc..

By downloading you can access single tracks and try different types to see if you even like them. I'd have never went out and bought a trance cd before, however now I actually do buy them.

On the flip side:

I do understand it from the artists perspective.

These download sites usually offer free tracks that have been copied by other fans and put there without the permission of labels and artists. Fans get lots of choice - but no money goes back to those who made the music.

Therefore, the artists who rely on record sales for their livlihood are affected. It may not affect the large labels but small companies who are not very profitable could disappear, there may be less music available for consumers.

Basically, the artists who make music, will never stop making it, it's what they do.. but they just won't be able to make as much money as they always have. (or be as rich)

I dont' mind paying a small price for "X" amount of downloads per month or something. I'd rather use free sites I admit. But what the artists may not realize, that by allowing people to try their music cheap or for free, even though it cuts down on CD sales.. their concert venues should increase as they aquire a bigger fan base.

Example: I have went to Voodoo lounge in Kansas city more often to see national club DJ's in the past 2 years, and it's because my love of that type of music has grown << all because of the downloads. :ice:

[Metall_fan]

Is it illegal? Certainly.
Is it immoral? Thats in the eye of the beholder. Basically downloading is stealing, but what about the way all these artists rip us off? Is it moral on their behalf (together with labels) to charge us $15 per album and $50-100 for a show? Ok, I can understand charging people a lot for their concerts - they already know the performer, like him/her, and could make an educated decision whether it is worth spending this kind of money for live entertainment. I had no problems paying $130 for a festival ticket this summer that I know I will enjoy and get my money's worth plus much more.
But paying $15 for a CD because you liked its cover art, heard one song on a radio that you sorta liked, word of mouth advertising, etc. and discovering that otherwise the album is crap, isn't that a rip off? Unlike in a movie theater, you can't get your money back.

When they start charging us $5-7 per CD then I'll consider buying them. And don't tell me its unrealistic, just look at the way these people live (their next Ferrari will have to wait a few more weeks perhaps then). Labels also make a ton of dough from successfull artists. Their profits are slashed by the non-successfull ones, whom they waste a ton of money on signing/promoting (like all the shitty videos you see on MTV), basically shoving talentless shit down our throats, like Ashley Simpson for instance.
We are the ones paying for their inefficient business model.

[So Warped]

$15:blank: , in the Uk it's more like £15.

[wats_up]

I've seen those websites (I think there is more than one, or they all lead to the same host in the end) two-three years ago when I was looking to get some music. 99 cents per album I think is what they charged, but:
a. paying for internet services is against my religion
b. even if they charged a penny per album I wouldn't be so quick to give them away my credit card number

anyway, I then discovered limewire, and always get what I want from there, sometimes easily, sometimes not, but its all there allright.
dam i thought limewire was illegal

[Dymond]

I think its about time that music was offered ala carte on the internet. It took Steve Jobs and Itunes to finally get the Music Labels to understand this was the way of the future. I think a $1 a song is a good deal and it makes them money while keeping us from feeling ripped off from having to buy a whole CD because we liked one song. However what the Russians are doing is piracy plain and simple and honestly if I'm gonna pirate music I'll jump on Shareaza or a torrent site and skip the middle man. Honestly what they are doing isn't selling music as it is, pirating music and making money from that which to me is even more wrong than pirating for free.

[PiNkPaNtHeR22432323]

just download limewire for free and you can get about any song possible/ video for free

[Alf uckem]

just download limewire for free and you can get about any song possible/ video for free

go on limewire and search for limewire pro its a lot better:blushing:

[PiNkPaNtHeR22432323]

yea i know i just dont wanna pay

[Alf uckem]

you dont have to find a cracked version and download it free:smartass:

[Pot4life]

meh if you download limewire pro from limewire i never know which one to get rid of in control panel lol so i normally end up deleting pro and still having the shitty one, also when you have pro and normal installed it gets complecated to run pro

[Davecat]

The download of music the artists intended to be chargable for free from programs such as limewire is undoubtedly illegal...

The prices that artists/labels charge for there CD's is at best immorral.

Although i have/and will continue to download free tracks, the difference is clear. If someone is selling what essentially is their intellectual property, and someone decided to give away something that isnt theirs. Then the artist is being stolen from.

If someone told you it would be $15 for a meal, you never tried it before, paid for the meal and just didnt like it - would you expect your money back ?
It is your choice to pay, it is not the artists choice to have their goods given away without them getting anything in return.

If i like an album i download, i will buy it. i have quite literally close to 1k paid for cd's in my collection, if i dont like it - i'll delete it...


The difference in cost for albums dependant on country however is another issue that 'boils my piss'... feel free to mention your thoughts on that here if you feel it's relevant...

[Dymond]

Those are good points Ben..However you say you do download before you buy..are you saying if you go to a restaurant and try the meal and don't like it, you can leave the plate and you won't get charged?

[Davecat]

Nope - but generally, if your that dissatisfied and make a point of it during the meal - you'll get something else - or a refund... :smartass:

[tca]

Any exposure is good exposure in my opinion, if you like an artist, like a song here or there, you'll go out and buy the album.....shit even if you download a full album, i know people who will still go out and buy the album, just so they can be like, i have the CD

Me for example, i have like, 90% of bone thugs and harmony's songs, yet if i see the CD's i'll still get them, why you may ask, simply so i have the CD

I'll say it again, any exposure is GOOD exposure

As for paying for it online, why the fuck would you bother? Why not just go buy the CD?

[CrayZii-InDiaN]

yes download the music.. if you like it then buy it on CD with a better quality :)

so MP3 Songs can live longer :)

now days its damn cheap...

[YetAnotherKitten]

BAH you knwo what the music business is?? Capitolism of the worst design... fuck i hope it shatters all to pieces.. then musicians wil be FORCED to get off their asses and WORK for their money and you know have this thing called -talent-to make any money!!!!

DOWNLOAD EVERYTHING (well except vinyl you know you got to get vinyl its the best) destROY the corporate DISEASE!!!

edit- further more-- look at metallica... they are the first popular musicians who stood up against it... and you knwo what?? they are pillars of the music business manicure.. fucking bullshit tv shows and all that crap... just make the music and make it good --the people will come ffs.

[Kloaked Spirit]

Stupid little fact to consider: Almost all studies have shown a positive correlation between the amount of times a cd/song has been sold and an increase in the number of cd's sold. In fact, the last big substantial drop in cd sales came during the same period that pvp downloading dropped drastically. The only "groups" that would not benefit are the ones that would have such a small fanbase or so localized that they wouldn't receive the benefit of mass downloading.

Is it illegal? Certainly.
Is it immoral? Well, I guess that depends on what moral standards you actually have.