Some facts to consider concerning file sharing.

[quincy]

I personally think that the record companies can't expect too much sympathy when they f**k us over with extortionate CD prices in the first place.

And as for legitimate downloads, the bottom line is that most legitimate downloads cost far too much. If i remember correctly Napster charges £1.09 per track in the UK. A lot of dance music download specialists are charging more like £1.50 or £2 a track. They can go f**k themsleves.

Are they taking the piss?! Compressed format file with no physical media, no nice case or inlay etc. Its more expensive to buy an album in MP3 than on CD from any decent online retailer like play247 etc.

I for one have no issue downloading illegal MP3s for the purpose of seeing if i like the song(on recommendation etc). if i don't, i'll get rid of it, and if i do i'll buy the CD or find a legit download place. I'm currently too skint to buy CDs so i just use EMusic.com cos i can find a lot of decent stuff there at about 15p a track.

[munchkin]

I think it's easy to understand why CD sales have dropped - it's because the record labels are churning out endless shite on a scale never seen before.

Who the f**k would ever buy any of the turgid crap that gets released? Thank heavens for sharing because at least I don't waste cash on an album with one song that's any good.

Back in the day I'd want to own albums from bands I liked because they actually put something into them. There was artistry involved. Now it's just music by numbers. Push all the right buttons - a fast track, a ballad, a few quirky songs and switch the drum machine on for the rest.

That's why no one wants to spend the cost of a meal out on aural shite. Would anyone pay for a meal at a restaurant where the food tastes like horse shit? Of course not.

Instead of releasing fodder every 6-12 months perhaps the culprits should save up the few good songs they have and release a quality album every two years. But this is currently not the case because the musicians and record labels have got lazy and the greed to cash in on new releases has led to fodder and filler. Like I give a shit if the modern day equivilants of Brotherhood of Man go down the pan.

[aMUSEd]

I'd be more interested in legitimate download sites if:

a) the sites actually offered more stuff you can't buy any more (because the record industry "in it's widom" considers it non commercially viable).

b) offered the sort of remixed gems you can find on p2p (like many Bjork remixes I've collected) where online collaborators are making some really inspired and creative stuff (but they are too scared of copyright law)

[munchkin]

I'd be more interested in legitimate download sites if:

a) the sites actually offered more stuff you can't buy any more (because the record industry "in it's widom" considers it non commercially viable).

b) offered the sort of remixed gems you can find on p2p (like many Bjork remixes I've collected) where online collaborators are making some really inspired and creative stuff (but they are too scared of copyright law)

This sums it up for me. legit download sites offer turgid shite that you wouldn't pay for on CD let alone download. The copyright laws have scared creative musicians into releasing on p2p. And musicians who can't get a look in because the record labels have stiched up the so-called legit forms of distribution are in the same boat. Nice one record industry!

[Amberience]

may or may not be true, but it is some of the most turgid, verbose, and inaccessible writing i've come across in a long while.

i always find it amusing that supposed 'academics' feel compelled to write in the most stilted manner possible.

i think that in a hundred years or so people will look back on todays academic prose and have a good laugh at its prententious style.

i don't recommend leaving copies of this on campus. no one will ever read it.

give it to a good journo to turn into a snappy page or two

Its really not their fault that you're stupid. I read it without problem.

[Cabinfever]

Its really not their fault that you're stupid. I read it without problem.

what a gentleman. scouting around looking for cheap shots again are you ? well, what goes around...

and of course it's readable. my comment was on the quality and style.

[Amberience]

Like I said. I read it without a problem. What's your excuse? What bothered me was the "give it to a good journo to turn into a snappy page or two" comment... that kind of thought process propogates mediocrity. If people can't manage to read it and understand it, then f**k em. Tough luck.

[quincy]

Like I said. I read it without a problem. What's your excuse? What bothered me was the "give it to a good journo to turn into a snappy page or two" comment... that kind of thought process propogates mediocrity. If people can't manage to read it and understand it, then f**k em. Tough luck.

Spoken like a true pretentious academic!!

Only kidding.

The bitching on this forum provides me with endless entertainment, may it never stop

[Amberience]

[foosnark]

may or may not be true, but it is some of the most turgid, verbose, and inaccessible writing i've come across in a long while.

its incredible how, when you strip away the turgid bullshit, how very little substance often remains.

Who the f**k would ever buy any of the turgid crap that gets released?

legit download sites offer turgid shite that you wouldn't pay for on CD let alone download.

Someone ought to do a statistical analysis on the use of the word "turgid" in online forums.

Interesting study though.

[projectdan]

Can anyone tell me what sort of range emusic.com has? Do they have much commercial stuff? I know the trials free, but before I give them my details I want to know if its what Im after.

[very angry mobster]

didn't the record industry make the same claim with cd burners? before that tapes? from what i remember from one uni class, the record industry have supposably made the same claim every time a new media distribution system has been introduced. (including radio )

I agree with cyprus that file sharing will be the most revolutionary thing to happen to music in a long time. Now with an internet connection, people can sample a huge range of music, it makes it so much easier to research new music and find new connections between old music. Surely more people being more knowledgable of music can't be a bad thing?

Perhaps, and it is a rather skeptical perhaps, the major labels are losing money at the moment because of file sharing, but this isn't 1980 anymore, they should get a new business model. They are multibillion dollar companies.

my rant..


shannon

[herodotus]

What gets me about this is how the industry's spokespeople have been giving out this line that sales are suffering due to piracy, and people accept this without even asking how they know it.

Tracking sales is a tricky issue at best. The "charts" only sample the c.d. sales at the sorts of stores (e.g. Sam Goody, Best Buy) that neither I nor any of my music fan friends would ever buy anything from. And so the 'information' that one gets from these charts is less than rock solid to say the least.

Furthermore, the studies that have been published on this issue are surprisingly few, given the amount of press it gets. I don't know whether the picture of things given by Oberholzer and Strumpf is the last word on this subject. In fact, I am sure it is not. But it certainly casts doubts on the official RIAA line. And if such basic doubts can be held by reputable economists (Strumpf is now with the Cato Group if that means anything to anyone), what are normal people without any criminal records being fined thousands of dollars for??

[very angry mobster]

What gets me about this is how the industry's spokespeople have been giving out this line that sales are suffering due to piracy, and people accept this without even asking how they know it.

when it comes to media and the population at large, evidence isn't needed. simply say something enough times and it becomes a common sense truth.


shannon

[lawapa]

so unless you have all the numbers "free" vs "paid" clearly organized, it would be hard to say why the music industry is suffering a 10-20% drop in CD sales. and whether or not they're making that up on online sales...

I felt from the start of the article that this study was aimed at the relationship between free downloads and CD sales. A paid for download keeps control intact and artists are compensated.

Many years ago I use to tape FM radio broadcasts. This was to capture unique content not available in vinyl. These interviews and acoustic sets done live were not available. The fact that the radio stations encouraged this is no secret. The audio quality of broadcast FM while better than AM is still not in the same league with vinyl at that time or the cassette medium I used to capture these performances. Most music downloads involve a bit rate at 128kbs. This I assume is comparable to radio broadcasts captured on cassette tape. And while you can keep the music it's not comparable to the real thing. What frustrates the music industry is they can't control it. This circumvents the pay for play that places music where and when they so chose. Ultimately this is a control issue. But I think as this evolves it might be used to their advantage in marketing product. But that pesky control thing keeps rearing it's ugly head. They want total dominance over the process and the computer has taken that away and placed it squarely in the hands of the consumer. This then short circuits there ability to control placement of product and timing.