Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
I draw a major distinction between singles and albums. If its a single that an artist has released for play on the radio, and is accompanied by a music video on TV and/or the web, I don't have an issue with downloading it. And in many cases, I can access that music on demand for free through the artists own website. I don't really see the difference between downloading such songs and recording them off the radio via a cassette tape (aside from the convenience factor)
However, entire albums are another story. The majority of songs on them (unless it happens to be a best of album) haven't been released in a public manner & can't be easily accessed via legitimate means for free.
Think of it this way, if I call up a local radio station & request they play every song off of 5FDP's American Capitalist album, they'll probably hang up on me. But if I just ask for Under & Over It, they'll probably do it. I can get a single for free by simply asking. But I can't get the album.
Also, I'd also say that I have probably bought more albums because of the singles that I've downloaded, rather than less. When I was young, there were quite a few albums that I bought because of one or two songs. But then the album sucked. Now, every now & then I browse through my music library & see who I've got a handful of songs from and what album they're off of. If I see I've got 3 or 4 singles from an album ... chances are, I'm going to enjoy the other 10 off the disc. And if I like that disc, I'll probably enjoy some of that artists other work too. And maybe even go to their show the next time they're in town.
|
Yes, there are rare cases when a musician will put something out there for free. But the radio isn't one of those. That music was paid for. I'm not sure how much but I recall an article on the person that did "Grandma got run over by a reindeer was paid something like $60,000 in residuals every year. But that payment doesn't clear you and I the right to own our own copy.
Think of it this way. Music is Intellectual Property (IP). GM has had cars ripped of in design and style in China. That IP is not protected there. Your argument would be similar to "well GM put it out there so now it's ok for any manufacturer to make their own Camaro". That would be stealing in the U.S.