Downloading (music, movies, etc)

[Lady Redfield]

Let's face it, pretty much every one of us downloads shit at some point. I download tons of music.

What are your views on it? Do you consider it stealing or just simply duplicating (if you are burning music or movies)?


Since I mostly DL music, I'll just throw out my thoughts on that subject. Some people are against it because they consider it stealing and the artist loses money but DLing music is beneficial because you can get exposure to a lot of music you would otherwise never even know existed. Contrary to what people believe, not everyone who downloads music wont go out and buy albums. A lot of people download albums to 'sample' it before deciding on whether to go out and actually add it to their collection. During the time of Napster, album sales went up. People were downloading music and then going out to buy the albums. In my own personal experience, I have had a few songs by a band recommended to me so I went ahead and downloaded the album to take a listen to what else they had to offer. It's a good way to get exposure to other bands that you would miss if you just randomly walked into a music store. If you dl the music to sample, you also get an idea of whether or not you will be wasting your money on an album.


What are your thoughts on downloading?

 

[straight_edge76]

I have thought about this quite a bit honestly.

I do agree that downloading has really helped broadened my musical taste. Much like you said if you just walk into a record store you are far less likely to want to shell out your hard earned money on an album that either you have never heard of the band, artists whatever or that ends up just being shit. I use downloading to either find new music, sample albums that I am on the fence about or at times just have a backup copy of an album. CDs fuck up, its a fact. Its always good to have a backup copy of an album.

Plus, I think with the amount of downloading much like you said album sales have gone up. Lots of artists will give away free songs or EP releases for free just to help their fanbases grow. Which in turn helps their carrers; they sell more albums and concert tickets. Which is really what anybody in the music industry is out to do at the end of the day.

 

[JurassicBonez]

I think about this from time to time when I DL stuff. I don't DL as much music as I use to. But the one's I do, it's to sample the songs/albums. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's tired of buying piece of shit albums were the only good songs are the 2 tracks that play on tv/radio. So if the albums good, I'll buy it. If not, oh well. It's usually deleted.

Now for music and movies, the one's I download the most are one's that I already own on VHS or DVD/Blu Ray. Since I already own it, I'm not going to buy it again just to put on my Ipod. The exceptions are wrestling ppvs and new tv show episodes.

 

[comicgeekelly]

I try to not DL, but sometimes I do it if I can't find a CD I want to listen to or if I want to try out a comic before I commit to the series. Personally I'm annoyed by the people who download everything and rarely, if ever, buy anything.

 

[nation]

I download music for sure. I used to buy CD's but having a CD player in this day and age is ridiculous to me. I buy some music through Itunes and get some music from a few of my friends who buy it legitimately. I also know people who still buy CD's and I'll save the albums onto my computer and port it over to my Ipod. So it's not like I'm a filthy pirate.

Downloading music through Limewire, Frostwire, etc has it's huge disadvantages not only is it "morally wrong" to many but fucking half the songs are garbage. Many of the songs are samples. Then there is fake songs, terrible quality songs, radio advertised songs, etc. I know it depends on the files you download but it's hard as hell to get past fucked up songs now it seems.

Downloading music is a great benefit personally to avoiding bad albums you would regret paying for and expanding your musical interest. I'm a lot more varied now since downloading came along. Like others mentioned it's also a good way to sample music.

The whole digital media has created huge exposure that helps bands/artists increase their popularity. But the digital era has eliminated CD's. Some people still get them but the vast majority go digital. If there was no digital downloading big name artists like Lady Gaga would be selling millions of more copies. You aren't going to see albums sell anywhere near what they used to anymore. However again the exposure aspect is a great benefit to the music industry. Then you got profit through Itunes and other digital buying services so it pretty much evens out.

 

[seX-Power]

I'm fine with it, because I don't have to pay anything.

 

[G 3]

I support piracy.

I think it is wrong to not share. I share pretty much anything I have(with a few exceptions) We're all human, why not share the stuff that makes us happy/entertained? The whole thing about stealing money from artist I disagree with completely. The artist do not have the money, and then it is taken away from them. The artist also don't make all the money, the record companies are the ones making most of the money, and really, do they deserve it? Also a lot of people who pirate, would not have paid for it anyways. Spreading your music only helps it get more popular.

 

[The Showstopper]

I buy CD's to support my favorite artists sometimes. Most of the time I just dl, I think its fine, but the music industry is losing a lot of money because of that.

 

[Kizza]

Until they stop ripping me off for everything, I'm downloading. It's easy, convenient and shit. Unless I really like that CD or something, I'm not paying. Until they can make easier than downloading, yeah.

 

[xtremebadass]

I try not to DL alot. I only DL stuff that I really want, just music. I don't download videos or movies, I don't have that great of a connection anyways. So many people do it now-a-days it is ridiculous though. Joe Rogan said it best "You can't stop the internet."

I never downloaded anything...that is until I came here lol.

 

[hndsmepete]

I buy CDs, but I use downloading to try bands out. The main thing is that a lot of underground music isn't on pay services like iTunes & is only legally available physically. I've never done movies, mostly because my PC is older & I don't have a dvd burner. I mostly download live shows of bands or harder to get albums, but will download an album to hear it before committing to a purchase. I don't think its wrong to download music from big record labels, they've gouged the artists & buyers long enough. I mean I've bought plenty of cds over the years & a lot of times don't want to purchase the latest remastering of a cd I already own. There are also a lot of bands that release singles & EPs only on vinyl. If people didn't rip those & post them I know that I'd never hear them. The last vinyl I bought was Stormtroopers Of Death's (S.O.D.) "Seasoning the Obese" single in 2000, strictly as a collectible item of a band that I love. Some of the biggest musicians get maybe 50 cents out of every album sale. I'm pretty sure that is Metallica's rate per album sold, then they have to split it with band members, management, etc. Now most record labels are taking profits out of bands tours & merchandise, something that they would never do even 10 years ago. File trading has been around before Napster & it will always be around. In the past people would tape albums for each other & some records used to have a little logo claiming that "Home Taping is Killing the Record Industry". Prior to that small companies would illegally press their own vinyl copies of popular albums & sell them at lower cost than the stores at swap meets/flea markets. I know that's how my dad used to get his records in the 70's. Piracy will never go away, they can make all the laws they want & it will not stop it.

 

[xtremebadass]

I would never think of buying stuff off iTunes or something like that. That is a horrible waste of money, I would rather just listen to the radio all day. I don't even buy CD's, that is except Lil' Wayne's Rebirth

Mixtapes are always free though and that stuff you don't hear on the radio.

 

[The Showstopper]

You seriously bought Rebirth?

 

[xtremebadass]

You seriously bought Rebirth?

Yeah dude that's my shit. Everyone can bash that until the sun goes down but I loved it. I had to buy it.

 

[Lady Redfield]

I think about this from time to time when I DL stuff. I don't DL as much music as I use to. But the one's I do, it's to sample the songs/albums. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's tired of buying piece of shit albums were the only good songs are the 2 tracks that play on tv/radio. So if the albums good, I'll buy it. If not, oh well. It's usually deleted.

Now for music and movies, the one's I download the most are one's that I already own on VHS or DVD/Blu Ray. Since I already own it, I'm not going to buy it again just to put on my Ipod. The exceptions are wrestling ppvs and new tv show episodes.

That is what first got me into downloading music. It's a waste of money to buy an album with only 1 or 2 songs you like. I know artists can't please everyone but, fuck, I hate being excited for an album and then playing it just to find out how shitty it is.

I still purchase albums from my favourite artists but I also listen to shit that isn't very accessible here and other artists that I don't really like but I enjoy some of their songs.

Also, I feel that I am not really making an artist lose money because there will always be enough fans to buy their albums while I just make a copy of it so it's not like I am going to the store and lifting an album that someone could purchase. I've been to the store enough times to grab a CD and it's sold out. At least downloading it guarantees me a copy of it, as well as the earlier point in which I don't buy an album and only like a few songs.