Views on illegal downloading?

Originally Posted by: grizzlymintIn my case, I'd say the record industry is doing better BECAUSE I can download. I would've never heard pretty much anything that I listen to today without illegal downloading. If I like a band, I support them by buying at least one album. Many times one turns into multiple.

I honestly can say I owe a lot to being able to download music. I believe hearing the music I have today has changed my life, and I never would've spent money on the music if I couldn't have had a feel for it in the first place. I will now. But only because I've grown musically and have heard many names via the internet.

All that being said, do I think its right? No. But I do it anyways.

Thats kind of where I stand. I download music to hear what is out there. Even if its 1 song by 1 band that I never heard of. This is how I discovered a lot of the music that I listen to now. I download some songs to see if I like the sound. The download albums to hear if I like the band. Then I buy albums if I like the band. I don't feel it is right to force people to pay almost $20 for an album if they have no idea what they are getting. I have downloaded COUNTLESS bands that I don't like, but I heard they were good, so I wanted to check them out. Before downloading came around, I would have had to go buy every single album and I would have wasted literally hundreds of dollars.

I have well over $1,000 worth of CD's, but that number would be more than double if I couldn't download. More than half those CDs would be in the trash though because I don't like everything I hear. I use downloading to see what albums I want to buy basically. I don't like people that download just so that can get out of paying the money. I'm happy to pay the money, just as long as I KNOW that I will enjoy the CD. The way it is right now, the only way I would know that is to download it first and listen to it.

You wouldn't buy a guitar without playing it first right? Why should I buy music without listening to it and seeing if I even like it?

I know what you guys mean though; it's a tough call to buy a CD when you don't know what you're getting. That's one of the reasons I don't buy a lot of new music. Internet radio has been a huge bonus in that you can hear a lot of different bands without buying their stuff first. Used book stores that carry used CD's is a great place to find new stuff without paying premium prices. I can usually pick up a few CD's for under $20 so I don't feel so bad if one of them turns out to be a dud.

Satellite radio has also done a lot as far as educating me on the new and different music out there. I may not watch much television, but the radio is on ALL THE TIME.

I still learn from talking to other people and what they are listening to as well. Heck, you guys have turned me on to a number of great bands and guitarists. I had no idea who Larry Carlton or Leo Koetke were before I stumbled into GT. And (Oh man, I hate to admit this) I had never heard of Dream Theatre before GT.

Yeah, yeah, I know.... :o

Keep in mind that most artists now have clips of their tracks online, and there's enough there to decide. Many put full tracks up in flash players etc so there is no need to download tracks to see what you think.

I'd like to see iTunes etc make their catalog more comprehensive, and to make it easier to get tracks in there. Like I say I only ever look on the wrong side of the tracks when I can't find anywhere to buy whatever it is...

Well do you guys believe in buying used books (or cd's for that matter)? Just a thought.

Originally Posted by: iihollyWell do you guys believe in buying used books (or cd's for that matter)? Just a thought.

I see where you are going with this one and your right!

Originally Posted by: iihollyWell do you guys believe in buying used books (or cd's for that matter)? Just a thought.

Yes. I do.

Except for that one time I bought Sonic Youth's "Goo" at a used CD place and the first two tracks didn't work. So I ended up buying it new anyway.

But generally, yes. Why not?

I'm probably going to sound like a smartass but here goes anyway :D
There is a difference between buying a second hand good and downloading something from the internet for free - and it's not just the money;-) If you buy a cd in a second hand book shop or on ebay then you are buying a single item that involves a single monetary transaction as opposed to a downloadable file which can be downloaded an unlimited number of times by an unlimited number of people. Secondhand sales are also legal as they are mostly done within a system that involces VAT (value added tax) back to the local government and they are generally done through a shop or service that is licenced to do so. Just pointing out the difference BUT I do see where you are coming from!

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanI'm probably going to sound like a smartass but here goes anyway :D
There is a difference between buying a second hand good and downloading something from the internet for free - and it's not just the money;-) If you buy a cd in a second hand book shop or on ebay then you are buying a single item that involves a single monetary transaction as opposed to a downloadable file which can be downloaded an unlimited number of times by an unlimited number of people. Secondhand sales are also legal as they are mostly done within a system that involces VAT (value added tax) back to the local government and they are generally done through a shop or service that is licenced to do so. Just pointing out the difference BUT I do see where you are coming from!

Right. The artist has been paid once which is what you would expect to be paid on putting a product in the market place. Plus, the second hand market does the band a world of good when it comes to getting their name and work out and about. However, if you wanted to make sure that something like the second hand dealing doesn't work (and they have looked into this), you encrypt the disc so it's unlocked by the initial player. And then it can only play on that one player. Period. Trouble is, you buy a new player or own a couple (one in the house, one in the cabin and one in the car) you can only play it in the one you originally played it on. (okay, now I have a headache).

I don't have a problem with the second hand market because the artist and label have been paid. Illegal downloading? They don't make a dime. How is that fair?

Its hard enough to find new CD's for a lot of Metal bands, but to find a USED one in a store is even harder. I don't like to buy music online though. I prefer to have the actual CD.

i believe downloading is perfectly fine.I do prefer to have the original album but the fact that i have bought CD's thats skipped on the first or second listen has made me bitter on the subject,I will download whatever i need until they come out with a more durable medium for music.


I am aware that I can just rip a cd right after i buy it and then put it aside so it doesn't get wrecked but whats the point? I shouldn't have to, especially when a lot of new CD's are protected so you can't rip them even for yourself this is just absurd because it's like they want you to keep buy **** over again,because legally that what we are expected to do. this is crap!

Originally Posted by: force_of_shredi believe downloading is perfectly fine.I do prefer to have the original album but the fact that i have bought CD's thats skipped on the first or second listen has made me bitter on the subject,I will download whatever i need until they come out with a more durable medium for music.


I am aware that I can just rip a cd right after i buy it and then put it aside so it doesn't get wrecked but whats the point? I shouldn't have to, especially when a lot of new CD's are protected so you can't rip them even for yourself this is just absurd because it's like they want you to keep buy **** over again,because legally that what we are expected to do. this is crap!

Well I agree with you on your reasons, but I still don't think it's "perfectly fine" to download. I admit what I'm doing is wrong, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop lol. I just wonder what the next medium will be. CDs will get outdated like cassettes and records, but I think there will always be a "hard copy" of the albums.

Well, HD is the newest craze, so I geuss a music dvd of some sort that has ginormous file sizes per track.

But thats still a CD. Im talking about a whole new medium.

Possibly Flash Drives that cant be rewritten and have the songs locked onto it some how. But it will still take quiet some time to phase out CD's

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanI'm probably going to sound like a smartass but here goes anyway :D
There is a difference between buying a second hand good and downloading something from the internet for free - and it's not just the money;-) If you buy a cd in a second hand book shop or on ebay then you are buying a single item that involves a single monetary transaction as opposed to a downloadable file which can be downloaded an unlimited number of times by an unlimited number of people. Secondhand sales are also legal as they are mostly done within a system that involces VAT (value added tax) back to the local government and they are generally done through a shop or service that is licenced to do so. Just pointing out the difference BUT I do see where you are coming from!

It obviously isn't the same thing. I was trying to find a relative situation to compare. Obviously no one is going to come out and say "stealing is the right thing to do." Yet people still do it, so if this were a poll I think people who say "yes its wrong, but I do it anyway" count as a vote for pro 'stealing' music. I was trying to gage how extreme people's views are as far as "protecting the artist's right." Technically I could justify my stealing music by saying "well at some point someone bought it." (I wouldn't justify myself in that way, my justification is that I don't really care). I realize its a bit of a radical comparison but I think it is relative situation.