NationStates Jolt Archive

I was curious to people of NSGs views on downloading music. I'm not against it per se, but I do think it is better to buy the actual CD. I think if you like a band, you should buy their music, making it more likely that they will continue making said music. The only time I ever download music is if I just can't find it anywhere else.

I was curious to people of NSGs views on downloading music. I'm not against it per se, but I do think it is better to buy the actual CD. I think if you like a band, you should buy their music, making it more likely that they will continue making said music. The only time I ever download music is if I just can't find it anywhere else.

I buy the CD if I really like the band or really want to keep the CD forever.
I download (and usually pay for the downloads) CDs I'm not all that passionate about or just want a couple songs of.
I also love you because you spell "occasionally" even worse than I always do. :p

I also love you because you spell "occasionally" even worse than I always do. :p

Well, thank you for this dubious honor.

how do you spell it?

I have a pile of CDs that I plan on buying one day.

One day being when I have sufficient funds to do so.

Until then, I will continue to download and add to the list.

Also, I download movies as an alternative to renting them.

I buy cds that I'd be willing to listen to in my car when I drive to uni. Most of my music has come from the library near my house. As for specific songs that I like that I can't find in the library, I just download off of limewire.

i download quite a lot. usually only individual tracks and mostly old stuff. if i've heard one song that i like by a band then i will download it. if i've heard several i will buy the album if they are current and i can afford it, or i will download them if they no longer make music/are already multimillionaires/their music is on adverts or tv programmes/they are a 'manufactured' act/i can't be bothered to leave the house/i don't like them for some reason despite liking their music.

Well, thank you for this dubious honor.

how do you spell it?

You're welcome. :)

occasionally
occassionally
ocassionally

Take your pick. I think the first one is correct but they all look wrong to me. It's my alphabetic achilles heel.

I'll be totally honest here. I've only paid for one CD in the past oh...six years or so, and I may rent movies from time to time, but I certainly don't buy them anymore.

I also don't feel guilty. Sorry.

I download music, because if I was to buy the songs I wanted on CDs, I would end up with many songs I don't want.

I'll be totally honest here. I've only paid for one CD in the past oh...six years or so, and I may rent movies from time to time, but I certainly don't buy them anymore.

I also don't feel guilty. Sorry.

Never said you should feel guilty, just curious as to people's opinions here.

90%+ of my music collection is downloaded. Most of it is from my uni's LAN, so I can download an album in two or three minutes.

I do it primarily to check out albums or bands I haven't heard yet. With underground music especially it's often the only way.

I generally buy music, or copy friends' CDs... I'd prefer vinyl, though.

MP3's sound like awful, but I do download some songs that I'm not really all that concerned aboot.

I'm not against downloading music. In my opinion, either the musician is out for money, in which case they're not worthy of my respect or money, or the musician is more than satisfied with the knowledge that people are listening to the art they created, and, therefore, wouldn't mind that I DL'ed it. (I know I would be)

I always check the RIAA Radar (http://www.riaaradar.com/) before I buy anything. If it's got RIAAs fecal matter on it, I download and share it. If not, I almost always buy it (there's a couple of other organisations I'm boycotting) eventually. Whatever RIAA shite I have, I've long since made loss-less rips of and power-shared across multiple networks. Nobody should need an excuse to pay those twats.

Never said you should feel guilty, just curious as to people's opinions here.

There are a few oldtimers here who would lambast me for my lack of guilt.

CanukHeaven for one, if I remember correctly...

If you MUST steal, just make an effort to buy the CD's of artists you really like. It allows them continue to make music for us. :)

Personally, I don't like to steal. I think that what goes around comes around.

I'll be totally honest here. I've only paid for one CD in the past oh...six years or so, and I may rent movies from time to time, but I certainly don't buy them anymore.

I also don't feel guilty. Sorry.

Pretty much ditto. Just I pirate movies instead of renting. I buy lots though (what's better, Borat on a 19 inch monitor or Borat on a 60' widescreen TV?).

You're welcome. :)

occasionally
occassionally
ocassionally

Take your pick. I think the first one is correct but they all look wrong to me. It's my alphabetic achilles heel.

I confess that I too have a complete spelling blind spot when it comes to this word. Something about them double letters just throws me right off.

RIAA says it's wrong to download mp3, so I only download FLAC.


"Don't download mp3" is one their advice I follow and can second.

I was curious to people of NSGs views on downloading music. I'm not against it per se, but I do think it is better to buy the actual CD. I think if you like a band, you should buy their music, making it more likely that they will continue making said music. The only time I ever download music is if I just can't find it anywhere else.

I will buy the CD when I have the money, but as that's very rarely I tend to download them more often.
Occasionally, despite the fact that I really would like to buy the real thing, it's not possible and I'm forced into downloading it regardless; Michael Flanders and Donald Swann being a good example here as not once have I seen their recordings on sale despite the fact that apparently it's stocked in many places.
The same also applies to movies.

However, as I said, I do buy the CDs and DVDs when I have the money, and as I'm possibly the most highly moral person on the planet in many other aspects of life I feel I'm due a break, yes? :)

Ilaer

I download music, but go to concerts when I can. I am on a very tight budget, and buying music is just too expensive, especially considering how quickly I get bored of most things.

Also, I don't like music that is popular in the US. Finding new music is pretty much only possible through mass downloadings.

In my utopian vision, everyone would only have to work about 4 hours per day, and those who want to make music could do so just for the love of it rather than for the money.

Yes, I download much music. I do not see this a problem because I limit myself to music under the Creative Commons licenses which allow this. pages like jamendo.com offer a big selection of music, all free, all legal!
Creative Commons ftw!!!

Hey Mr. Recordman what's wrong with you?
Running your label like it was 1992.
Hey Mr. Recordman, your system can't compete
with the new artist model
File transfer complete!


Yes, I download much music. I do not see this a problem because I limit myself to music under the Creative Commons licenses which allow this. pages like jamendo.com offer a big selection of music, all free, all legal!

I do download every so often. Very technically, I don't think I should, but it's one of those injustices I have a hard time getting worked up about. The major recording companies have so badly f*cked over the consumer for the past several decades (they recently lost a major class action lawsuit for illegal overinflation of their CD prices) that when I hear that I'm now supposed to feel bad for them, I tend to laugh callously and keep clicking. They'd have you believe that you're really hurting artists when you do this, and to some extent that's true, but first, many, many famous musicians, even some of my favorites, are also bastards, and second, when a major record label accuses the public of screwing artists out of their profits, it's like having Charles Manson scold you for cutting in line. In my humble opinion, many artists tend to complain about downloaders because they lack either the knowledge or the balls to challenge the people who are actually unfairly taking the lion's share of their cash.

So to summarize, I won't download music by artists who A.) are unsigned or on a label I respect, and B.) not, in my estimation, huge, human phalli.

I download because I can.:p

And it's legal here, take that RIAA.:D

If you MUST steal, just make an effort to buy the CD's of artists you really like. It allows them continue to make music for us. :)

Personally, I don't like to steal. I think that what goes around comes around.

Piracy != theft.

Downloading does not imply piracy.

Sometimes I download stuff (and if they were willing to sell it at a reasonable price, I'd happily pay for it; shame allofmp3 are the only people who do), sometimes I buy CDs. Often I just listen to the radio.

occasionally
occassionally
ocassionally

Occasionally.

And what kind of a word is 'downloadation'? :p

I don't know how to vote in the poll. I do download music, but do so legally.

i don't download much because i want to actually *own* the music and be able to play it where i want, when i want, on whatever thing i want.

ie. i dislike downloaded music coming with DRM. glitziness' Napster fucked up a few months ago and since then she's been unable to play most of her music collection because of DRM.


when i do download music, its illegal (bittorrent usually) as there's no DRM there. but i try not to do that if i can get the CD (ie i'm not currently totally broke and i can find it in the shops or online)

I download songs that have been recommended to me by friends to see if I would like them. Then I buy the CD if I do like them.

Yep, I download. Right now I download music because I have no money and I still want to listen to it. However, even when I do have money, I'll still download - then, if it's a good enough album, I'll buy it. If not, I'll likely delete it. There are a handful of bands whose CDs I will always buy, but they are a very small minority.

To be honest (and I'm not using this to defend my illegal activity), there are dozens of bands I would never have seen live or bought CDs had I not downloaded some of their music first.

It's the RIAA that help jack up the prices the CDs and force people get pirate music because it's cheaper to download. Where I live, a new CD is something like $30 to $40 new. The only time I used a CD is to rip it so I can play on my mobile phone (yes, it's legal now in Australia).

I download music to check out bands that I have not heard of before in order to determine whether it is worth purchasing the music...apart from that I tend to buy CD's rather than buying a download...I like to be able to look at my CD's :P

I do agree with Jerusalem though, in that the prices of CD's are particularly high, a result of the recording industries involvement, of the money spent on a CD we are lucky if more than about 15% of it goes to the artist, hence why I will purchase directly from the artist if I am able to (some bands I listen to have their own record labels).

That said, I have also found that CD's here in Australia are relatively more expensive than elsewhere in the world, so generally order CD's from stores in the US or UK (often saving about 40-50% on the price of the album, including factoring in postage)...this does not mean Amazon though :P (I can get the albums for less elsewhere, paying less in postage as well)

It's the RIAA that help jack up the prices the CDs and force people get pirate music because it's cheaper to download. Where I live, a new CD is something like $30 to $40 new.

You live in Darwin, right? That's harsh.

You live in Darwin, right? That's harsh.

Yeah, go to buy a CD. $30 for a single CD album and $40 for those 2 CD compilations. So I go to the hock shops and buy old CDs and then rip them to MP3 players.

Yeah, go to buy a CD. $30 for a single CD album and $40 for those 2 CD compilations. So I go to the hock shops and buy old CDs and then rip them to MP3 players.

Ouch.

Most of my new CDs come from discount import shops ($10 to $15 for a CD), or I buy second-hand. I usually get the rest from JB Hi-Fi, because they're the only chain store remaining with anything I actually like and don't already have. They can be pricey ($20-30), but if it's something I really want, i'm OK with that.

Ouch.

Most of my new CDs come from discount import shops ($10 to $15 for a CD), or I buy second-hand. I usually get the rest from JB Hi-Fi, because they're the only chain store remaining with anything I actually like and don't already have. They can be pricey ($20-30), but if it's something I really want, i'm OK with that.

Darwin does not have a large enough population to support those discount import stores (unless they are smallish stores) and good 2nd hand stuff is hard to get. Got a 2 CD set for $8 recently, almost brand new.

Sure I download.
From iTunes, at 99 cents per track or $9.95 an album.

Bittorrent is a close friend of mine.

Sure I download.
From iTunes, at 99 cents per track or $9.95 an album.

Just proves buying a CD is too expensive if you can download an album for $10 from Apple.

Sure I download.
From iTunes, at 99 cents per track or $9.95 an album.
iTunes? *shudders*

You know the meaning of DRM?

Just proves buying a CD is too expensive if you can download an album for $10 from Apple.
You don't get a proper CD or the artwork, and it's DRMed to buggery.

You don't get a proper CD or the artwork, and it's DRMed to buggery.

I suspect that's probably because to keep the RIAA happy with respect to the DRM.

And what kind of a word is 'downloadation'? :p



A perfectly cromulent word.


I've not downloaded much music since I've been using Pandora which is apparently illegal since they don't have the proper licensing to broadcast outside of the US.. I do occassionally download tracks from obscure and underground bands but never more than a few tracks. Other than that I'll buy cds and endevour to see the bands I like live..

You don't get a proper CD or the artwork, and it's DRMed to buggery.
The artwork of most CDs is shit! I mean, they don't even try anymore. Notable exceptions are timid tiger and a certain CD with vietnamese music. Worst disappointment: Air Mail Music. I hoped they had some information to the different styles. :(

I suspect that's probably because to keep the RIAA happy.
Probably. I don't even know the last time I bought an album new by an artist signed to an RIAA-member label or subsidiary...quite possibly the re-issue of the Manic's The Holy Bible. That would have been Christmas 2004.

So the RIAA can bite my shiny metal ass.

The artwork of most CDs is shit! I mean, they don't even try anymore. Notable exceptions are timid tiger and a certain CD with vietnamese music. Worst disappointment: Air Mail Music. I hoped they had some information to the different styles. :(
Most, perhaps. I know I have quite a number of CDs with great artwork. It was pretty much the only reason I bought Tool's 10000 Days.

Probably. I don't even know the last time I bought an album new by an artist signed to an RIAA-member label or subsidiary...quite possibly the re-issue of the Manic's The Holy Bible. That would have been Christmas 2004.

So the RIAA can bite my shiny metal ass.

I only buy new CDs when I really want it, otherwise download it or borrow a CD from someone else or it's cheap somewhere else.

To my knowlage the CDs that good ole ItUNES creates don't have much in the way of DRM.(they may have changed this?) I'll admit though its annoying that you can't play the music on anything other than their software/hardware.

To my knowlage the CDs that good ole ItUNES creates don't have much in the way of DRM.(they may have changed this?) I'll admit though its annoying that you can't play the music on anything other than their software/hardware.

My Nokia 6131 can play iPod format (m4a) files but I'm not sure if it can read the DRMed ones.

Beyond just the moral justice issues that would make me oppose music piracy, I also find that you're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from pirated music, as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.

I'll continue to buy CD's and download through iTunes. Much safer, guaranteed quality and not immoral.

I also find that you're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from pirated music, as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.


MP3s are always virus free! and with some precaution and a good OS/config not a threat.

Oh and for those who use iTunes, I recommend reading this:
http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/guide/

Beyond just the moral justice issues that would make me oppose music piracy, I also find that you're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from pirated music, as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.

I'll continue to buy CD's and download through iTunes. Much safer, guaranteed quality and not immoral.
You're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from iTunes. iTunes Store provides its music acc format, no? Not a codec to go for if you want quality. It is on par with mp3, which isn't fantastic either. However, if you pirate your collection in flac format, it has the potential to be much better.

Music Downloadation

Thats my new favourite word.

I download music, and, if I decide I like the artist enough, I buy I CD. I'm not going to spend 20 fricking dollars for one song I like.

One anonymous official said:
sometimes...
Yet others said they had no comment.

Also, I download movies as an alternative to renting them.

Same. It's more of a laziness issue than anything with me.

Beyond just the moral justice issues that would make me oppose music piracy, I also find that you're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from pirated music, as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.


Not true if you know where to get them.

I'll just rip a CD from the library, no chance of getting any nasty beasties to wreck havoc in your computer by doing it that way.

Limewire is fine as long as you have protection from the computer viruses. Unless you like taking chances with the health of your computer.

I don't think it's immoral to download music. I also don't think it hurts sales.

I don't have the money to purchase CDs. I wouldn't by the CDs even if I had money. Therefore, they are not losing sales to me.

Since I wouldn't by the music anyways, my downloading of the music at least allows me to fulfill the purpose of the music, which is to share the expression of emotion, or to create entertainment. If the purpose of the music for an artist is to make money, than I don't care about subverting that purpose.

At least if I think of the Golden Rule... I wouldn't mind people downloading my music. In fact, if I ever get to making that industrial techno, I'll probably just put it up for free online.

Limewire is fine as long as you have protection from the computer viruses. Unless you like taking chances with the health of your computer.

Bittorrent > Limewire

Bittorrent is a close friend of mine.Goes for me as well. In the lack of proper personal space for us, we grew a bit distant for a while, though. But then I got my 400GB external HD...

as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.

Not from music files. The data within is not executed (unless you have a shoddy media player that ignores all common sense and runs whatever scripts happen to be embedded within the file).

Darwin does not have a large enough population to support those discount import stores (unless they are smallish stores) and good 2nd hand stuff is hard to get. Got a 2 CD set for $8 recently, almost brand new.

I see. Ebay and the like are a good alternative, too, however - the only reason I don't use it more is because I refuse to touch paypal.

That said, i am a bit spoilt in Melbourne for music related stuff. Heh :P

In answer to the OP's question:

I occasionally download. I'm ambivalent about piracy. I have no love for RIAA and their equivalents around the world; their oft-quoted statistics claiming how much they "lose" to piracy every year is a particularly worn chestnut for me.

But I have a pet theory that pop radio overexposure kills more record sales than piracy downloads. A pirate might not buy a CD if s/he had not the wherewithal to download a song; but I've lost count of the number of songs I liked and then ended up hating after hearing it the 6 x 10^3 'rd time.

I was curious to people of NSGs views on downloading music. I'm not against it per se, but I do think it is better to buy the actual CD. I think if you like a band, you should buy their music, making it more likely that they will continue making said music. The only time I ever download music is if I just can't find it anywhere else.


I consider the current system of copy protection and distribution stupid.
However, it is the system the creators of the music I would like to download apparently support. Since they are the creators and holders of the intellectual copyright, and I am just someone humbled by their talent I am not as arrogant as to assume I know better than them.

Well - actually I do, but I shouldn't ;)

Beyond just the moral justice issues that would make me oppose music piracy, I also find that you're rather unlikely to get good sound quality from pirated music, as well as you're rather likely to get nasty computer-killing viruses.

I'll continue to buy CD's and download through iTunes. Much safer, guaranteed quality and not immoral.Downloading free music isn't per definition immoral. Depends on the situation. Supporting things like DRM and organisations like the RIAA, however, strikes me as inherently immoral. Even if you disregard the infringement on personal freedom and the pyramid scheme nature of the RIAA and their ilk, it should still be perfectly obvious to you after reading this thread, than your continued support of either, makes your peers engage in criminal activity, which is punished so severely it may well end up destroying their lives every bit as thoroughly as being convicted of the deliberate execution of a school bus full of children would.

I'm inclined to think you amoral; lacking the capacity to evaluate the consequences of your actions, to the extent that you're unable to decide if your actions are right or wrong, in your own eyes.

Contrary to what some have claimed, some music files can contain vira. You can protect yourself from them by having an updated AV program and, at the very least, scanning your files before you use them.

Even better, ridding yourself of MicroSoft malware, like their system-killing, useless, unstable, spying excuse for a media player, or better yet; the OS in it's entirety, will keep you perfectly safe even from known, virus infected music files. Because other media players aren't designed to systematically destroy your work and your computer.

Foobar2000 is a great, simple, but feature rich music player. If I was a decent, moral person like you, I wouldn't have mentioned it, or at least suggested you don't use it and disable WMP.

Not from music files. The data within is not executed (unless you have a shoddy media player that ignores all common sense and runs whatever scripts happen to be embedded within the file).
Not if you're careless. Most people double-click too much, and files can be anything executable (not .exe, of course), so it's possible to troll someone or worse. Not to mention M$ utils which are that stupid.

I'd be careful downloading the next GNAA album, for instance.