Do you think pirating music is really that big of a deal?

46 Comments

I have not actually pirated music. However I do not see why its a big deal. People are giving away music anyways so whats the harm in a 3rd member making a few bucks? You can copy your music to a computer make a cd and give it to your friend and that legal. However if you sell it you get to go to jail a few years. Is it really important for them to make that extra 10? We have third party sellers in business already and they don't care about them.

No I dont think it matters 45
Yes it is very important since its thier money 16
I think the artists are just greedy and it doesnt hurt them 14
I think it hurts them but not an amount that really makes a difference 17
I hate artists and celeberties 2
Yes I think you should go to jail that long 3
I think its wrong but the penalty is rather harsh for this crime 28
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Comments ( 46 )
  • Sog
    11 years ago | pl

    The music industry has now evolved to the point where selling actual CDs at the music store is a very small part of revenue. It's not even about the actual music anymore. It's about advertising and partnerships with huge companies and appearances on TV and in Movies and concert tours.

    But ultimately we have suffered because all this leads to is manufactured crap that the industry tries to pass off as music.

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  • TheGoat123
    11 years ago

    I watched a video on youtube, a comedian had made a stand up show and sold downloads of it. However, someone uploaded it on youtube and the author (who had put 1000000 euro into the project) didnr get his money back.
    At the comment section there was a discussion like the one on this page. Then someone said it doesnt matter because he is rich anyways,
    The comedian replied saying that he had huge loans.
    The ...other guy said "wow" and the discussion was over, the"pirates" had nothing to say.

    Its wrong.

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  • anti-hero
    11 years ago

    I only pirate songs about pirates and pirate related material.

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  • q25t
    11 years ago

    If it's a small band, I'll buy the music. Larger band that's already making millions, I'll pirate it. However, if this large band happens to be really good, I'll put some money back into their cause and buy the album. They still put their time into this and they should be rewarded to some extent.

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    • LadySimplicia
      11 years ago

      I agree. I wish those were more popular than no-talent-acts like Monkey Minaj.

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  • dom180
    11 years ago

    If you look at it literally, it is theft and sale of stolen goods. I think it hurts big musicians (I don't care about them, they're rich already), and it can hurt small musicians too but does have the trade-off of increasing their exposure.

    Music is intellectual property whether you like it or not. It's down to the artist to decide whether they give it away their music for free, not some random person. Whether intellectual property even exists is a much bigger thing, but not worth getting into.

    "You can copy your music to a computer make a cd and give it to your friend and that legal"

    I've actually heard that this is illegal (at least where I live), although I doubt anyone's ever been arrested for it. Here, look at number 3 on this list: http://netsecurity.about.com/od/securitylegislation/a/mp3myths.htm

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Yes but you already bought the album. That is my point. If you buy an album and copy it to your computer that is ok. If you copy it burn a disc and give it to a friend that is ok. However if you copy it to your computer burn a disc and sell it to your friend suddenly your committing a crime. Its not like the person loses anymore money. It also is not illegal to give your friend that disc you burned. So why is it illegal to sell it? You are not stealing music since YOU ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY TO BUY IT. Also if its illegal why does the computer already come installed with the software? To buy legal burning dvd software is a 100,s and does not come installed to every computer. Also what if you download music from disc to your computer? After which you download it to a few different mp3s. Like your dads, brothers, best friend and grandmother. Is that illegal?

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      • dom180
        11 years ago

        "If you copy it burn a disc and give it to a friend that is ok."

        No, it's really not legal. I'm sorry, it just isn't. It's a popular misconception, I'll give you that, but it isn't legal. It's explained here, at number 3 on the list: http://netsecurity.about.com/od/securitylegislation/a/mp3myths.htm Here, let me copy and paste it for you:

        "The fact that you purchased a CD entitles you to listen to the music all you want, BUT NOT TO SHARE THAT PRIVILEGE WITH OTHERS. You can make a copy of the CD for yourself in case you damage or lose the original. You can rip the music from the CD onto your computer or laptop and convert the music to MP3 or WMA or other formats and listen to it on portable MP3 players or other devices. Your purchase of the music entitles you to listen to it pretty much any way you want, but you can’t give copies of it to friends or family. I am not suggesting that you can't *play* the music when other people are around, but that you can't give them a copy of the music, in any format, to take with them when they leave."

        You're not giving any money back to the people who are legally entitled to it: the artist and the record label. Musicians don't get paid in the same way office workers get paid. Musicians get paid every time someone buys one of their songs or one of their albums, but that doesn't happen if someone else is selling it on and pocketing all the money for themselves. It isn't like buying and selling on a second hand table or a chair, because tables and chairs are finite resources that cannot be copied and resold ad nauseum.

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  • wigsplitz
    11 years ago

    Who says music is worth any money? That's my take on it. It's only worth what someone will pay for it and if that happens to be $0, then that's what it's worth. Period.

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    • dodongos
      11 years ago

      1) I raided a jewelry store. Who says it's worth any money? It's not like anyone put any effort into mining, cutting, mounting, and designing that diamond jewelry, right? Does that mean that this diamond ring is worth $0?

      2) Radiohead. They sold In Rainbows for whatever price the customer thought it was worth. Even if that was $0.
      They made lots of money.

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      • LadySimplicia
        11 years ago

        Wigsplitz is using the actual economic definition of worth. It's actually correct even though nobody really wants to believe it. Human beings are such emotional creatures that we deny reality for what we WISH it was.

        If today I went to Africa, found a rare pink diamond, and made earrings and no one wanted to buy them, they are economically worthless.

        I think you speak of sentimental value which is more emotional than factual.

        Let's say I risked my LIFE for that diamond and no one wants it, but I feel it is valuable because of my risk. Does this mean it's valuable to everyone else and they'll buy it? Probably not, unless I used emotional appeal through my sob story.

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      • wigsplitz
        11 years ago

        1) It's worth what someone's willing to pay for it. The market sorts that out. If no one is willing to buy diamond rings, then, well, it's worth $0, isn't it?

        2) So? Of course bands have loyal fans who want to support them. I never said they didn't. I said..."It's worth what someone's willing to pay for it". That could be $0, that could be $1000.

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        • dodongos
          11 years ago

          I was just answering your question.

          "Who says music is worth any money?"

          Those people who would pay for a free album.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Well the fact is that they are working for that money. It is there job to do it. Though I think most of them are over paid for something that does not take a lot of intelligence to do yet makes more over the amount people spend four years in school to get. Which seems really backwards if you think about it. It is like saying "I will make you be a doctor but I will pay you nothing to do so"! So do you see why we pay? That person still has to live. My point is saying that reselling the music you already pay for is not a big deal since people copy it anyways on there computer. Which is legal! So is it worth making a lawsuit and jail time over?

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      • wigsplitz
        11 years ago

        You don't get it. It doesn't matter how hard you work on something, the market determines the price. It's only worth what it's worth. You can charge whatever the hell you want for whatever it is you're selling but people are only going to pay what it's worth. List your car for sale and price it $5000 more than it's worth and see what happens. Offer to mow your neighbor's lawn for $1000 an hour. Do you think you'll get that price just because you asked?

        Times change. In the 60's a 12" color TV cost months worth of salary. A 12" old fashioned TV today is worth nothing. Maybe in the 90's a CD WAS worth $20, but that's not true anymore in general. This happens with everything because the market changes. It's too bad if businesses or services are no longer valuable but it happens. Yes it's the musicians property but I'm trying to explain, if it's not valuable enough to people then that's that, you CAN'T sell it (or you can't price it too high).

        In many cases the music that is "stolen" can't be considered a loss since you can't assume that all of those people who pirated that music would have actually bought the CD.

        The music industry should have adapted quicker to digital downloads instead of resisting it so hard. By resisting the change to digital music, they themselves created a generation that got used to "free" music and it's hard for them to get people to pay now whereas if they had embraced the technology long ago people would be more used to paying a small amount per song.

        PS: reselling music that you don't have rights to is stealing and it is illegal. WHy do you think it's not illegal? lol

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          I think that mainstream music should mostly be affected by piracy but I'm still amazed how many albums these pop artists sell. I can't believe anyone is going to a store to buy tiny tempah or Adele, even though they apparently sell millions of albums. Pop music is shallow so I expect its fans to be shallow in their effort to obtain it. Pop music is designed for radio instant gratification. The process of illegally downloading an album is for the sake of instant gratification. It's quick and free.

          Would you be surprised to know that the bands in the genre of music I listen to (rock/metal) release the odd lp/ep on vinyl? Vinyl has a fanbase but more importantly the bands and artists have a loyal fanbase. Pop music is becoming more and more manufactured ( digatlly constructed ear candy nonsense/dubstep) and it is losing its musical integrity by the day...

          But on the other side of things, bands within other genres such as hardcore, rock, metal, are cultivating their following and constantly earning respect because of the sincere effort and artwork presented in their product. The fanbase of these bands is full of people who believe in these artists and support them by buying their CD/mp3's.These people buy tickets to the shows and demonstrate loyalty by doing so. There is a real depth of unity in these scenes and the record sales prove it.

          Music is thriving underground.

          I should know, I own a record label.

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          • Anonymous Post Author
            11 years ago

            So we are shallow for liking music?

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            • [Old Memory]
              11 years ago

              I think you are shallow for misinterpreting the arguement and asking a silly question to challenge my statement.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          That still does not mean it is worthless. How about a person who works doing his job everyday. They are not worthless and they deserve to be paid. You can not say they dont since they are doing something to make money. If that the case you are worthless and you should be forced into labor. If you get nothing thats fine since if everyone says it means nothing it means you are nothing and deserve nothing. Which does not make a good economies since people are poor and dying. You have to stay alive dont you? You need a roof and food dont you? You think we should not be given something for what we do? We should just all be forced into labor till we die? Thats what we are to you? A bunch of worthless paper plates?

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          • wigsplitz
            11 years ago

            I didn't say it was definitively worthless, I said it's only worth what people will pay for it. How do you still not get that?

            Did you know that gasoline used to be a worthless by-product that the refiners threw out? And look, now we're at war over it and the price is high. Something that you think is so valuable right now was worthless at one time. Take a gallon jug of gasoline back in time and try to convince people that it's worth their entire year's salary. Good luck with that.

            Worth can't be some fantasy, it has to be grounded in reality. You might bust your ass working on something but it's only worth what you can sell it for. Not everyone is willing to buy what you're selling sometimes, ya know?

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        (some) Music is so intelligent that YOU cannot comprehend it. You know nothing about the complexity of music and all of its aspects.

        Creativity, ability to play an instrument,composition, equipment, sound engineering, the business within the industry and the management it takes...

        All of these things are to be studied at university level.

        You present yourself to be immature, naive and narrow minded with what you say.

        Remember that you still have time to grow and shape your opinions.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    I do it when I can't afford it.

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  • Imsupernormal
    11 years ago

    END IP LAWS!!!!

    They are dumb.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      What IP laws?

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      • Imsupernormal
        11 years ago

        *Intellectual Property

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          I know what IP is. I mean which laws are you trying to change! I think everyone who owns a computer knows what an IP is.

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  • Unimportant
    11 years ago

    You are not a musician, are you?

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      What kind of idiotic question is that? If I was a billionaire I would be on twitter now wouldn't I?

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        You have got it all wrong. It's FOOTBALL players in the UK who earn £500,000 a week

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  • Epofly
    11 years ago

    I personally prefer buying music on iTunes, but when I see a really cool cover on Youtube for which there is no MP3, I use an online media converter. That pirating?

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  • KeddersPrincess
    11 years ago

    Considering that I do it, no.

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    • LadySimplicia
      11 years ago

      Not just that, but the artist is already making millions with advertisements, the radio, concerts, itunes, and merchandise such as posters and toys and such. CDs only make a small part of their overall revenue.

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  • LadySimplicia
    11 years ago

    You still listen to CDs? I thought I was the only one.

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    • KeddersPrincess
      11 years ago

      I listen to CDs myself, sometimes.

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      • LadySimplicia
        11 years ago

        I have a CD player and have had it since I was 8. (I'm 19, presently)

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        • KeddersPrincess
          11 years ago

          Lol, same here. Got mine when I was 10. I'v had several since and most of them broke, lol. But, yeah, haha. I'm 20 now.

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  • davesumba
    11 years ago

    for me, pirating isn't a big deal at all, and those companies aren't losing any money from me, because if i couldn't pirate it, i sure as hell ain't going to overpay for it. software companies are the only ones who lose out on me, because it's a necessity for school and i need it one way or another.

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  • kingsleycrowne
    11 years ago

    I support alot of underground artists and I make a point of going out to buy their albums because I like to support the underground, independent labels instead of this big business bullshit.

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  • kingsleycrowne
    11 years ago

    someone pours their heart out on record, spends hours, days, months, composing songs and music and you go rip it off the net, cos its fast and doesn't cost you anything. Think about it. It is someone's livelihood, how about some respect and consideration for the artist?

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  • yabayaba
    11 years ago

    Sharing. That is all it is.

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  • SangoNyappy
    11 years ago

    I always pirate my music unless I finally get money. When I have money I always spend it on my favourite band. Only one though because I listen to over 200 bands and one can't buy all that shit.

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  • squeallikeasacofpigs
    11 years ago

    I hardly ever actually buy music, unless it's a gift for somebody else. Like I bought my sister two albums this Christmas, M83 and TDCC.

    When I want music for myself, I just take it off youtube. I used to this when I was younger as well. I would record songs off the radio that I liked and then keep them for myself.

    The only artists that I've ever paid money to buy songs from have been ones that I really really liked. They make most of their money from live shows, TV appearances, books, magazines, radio deals, merchandising. I really don't think that whilst they're rolling around in their million dollar mansions they're crying over the 50 Cents they didn't get from me because I downloaded their song from youtube for free.

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  • cigs
    11 years ago

    Its the business thats greedy not the artiest and i don't like third parties, And pirating music or videos can get you locked up.

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  • VioletTrees
    11 years ago

    SWIM has spent so much money on music by bands that SWIM never would've spent money on if SWIM hadn't pirated an album or two of theirs first. Hundreds of dollars, at least.

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