MP3 Swapping...A Poll

[neoinoakleys]

So, what does everyone think of MP3 swapping?? Good or Bad...??

[World's King]

Steal away... Steal away.

[K-Billy]

It's good, but most of the mp3s are terrible quality. So if you want high quality music, you almost have to buy the cd.

[Magpie0001]

I think if you pay that much for a cd when you can get it for nothing you need your head examined.
I have friends in the music industry & they told me that the cost of producing cd's is inflated by businesmen. Fuck them.

[spectre]

I download mp3's to find new music. If I like it, I buy it. If I don't, then I just delete, no money lost.

[Scipio]

I don't like your wording.

I download mp3s, and feel no remorse, as I own about 100 CDs that I bought fair and square. I'll make my economic contribution after I graduate.

[snowy]

I download mp3s, but I don't look at it as my right. It just makes it easier for me to decide how I spend my money. I still buy CDs, especially CDs of artists who aren't necessarily popular in the U.S. or popular in general. But as for pop music--I definitely download those mp3s without an ounce of regret. Those bitches make more than enough money already.

[sixate]

I almost never buy a CD. Only if it's one of my favorite bands. Otherwise, I steal away!

[forseti-6]

I download because I can. When you a buy a cd you don't support the artist, you're supporting the record execs.

[neoinoakleys]

Originally posted by forseti-6
I download because I can. When you a buy a cd you don't support the artist, you're supporting the record execs.

I totally agree....you want to support your favorite bands?? Go to their concert!! That is where the bands get to take home the biggest cut of the money.

[greyghost]

The music industry made it worse for themselves by trying to beat down the mp3 community. If the embraced and the idea, and applied a minimal charge they could would be flourishing instead of trying to consolidate and save money.

[troit]

I bought one of those ipod and have spent the better part of the last month trying to fill that thing. Over 1200 songs and counting...

[The_Dude]

i dont do much of it

[Spungfoo]

I am a filthy pirate. Yarrrrrr!!

But seriously tho, after I play around with my equalizers I can't tell much difference between songs I downloaded and songs I ripped from a cd.

[yournamehere]

The finances of the music industry have turned 180 degrees in the last 3 decades - It used to be that bands made their money from selling albums - the concerts were just publicity tours to promote those albums.

Of course, ticket prices are partially responsible for the turnaround - I paid $4.50 to see The Doors in 1970, and $65.00 to see James Taylor in 2001.

Getting back to the original question, I don't feel guilty about downloading mp3 files - for the most part, I download my favorite songs from growing up - I already bought the albums, but haven't had a turntable for over 15 years - so now I listen to my favorite "albums" on my CD player.

As far as new music, it's been said earlier - mp3 quality isn't the best - if a CD is worth listening to, it's worth going out and buying it.

[ratbastid]

The options in this poll are leading and no-win.

If there were a "MP3 swapping IS theft, but I do it anyway" option, that's the one I'd pick. I don't feel like it's my right, and I wouldn't feel violated if the copyright owners somehow took away the tools, as they did with Napster. I download but feel (sorta) bad about it.

I justify it by being really nasty about the no-good recording industry and how they don't give the artist a fair shake.

[b1m2x3]

1 |_1\/3 2 P15@73!!!!!

hahahaha... who the hell would pay?

[maximusveritas]

Just found this article on Google:
Judge: File-swapping tools are legal

A federal judge in Los Angeles has handed a stunning court victory to file-swapping services Streamcast Networks and Grokster, dismissing much of the record industry and movie studios' lawsuit against the two companies.

[Frosstbyte]

Here's my thing, there's a lot of stuff I can't really find very well in CD form so I have to track it down on on Kazaa. But I do try to buy stuff from the bands I really like. I try to use it as a finding tool rather than as a music library creation tool.

[Grondar]

I think the last CD I bought was a CD by Garbage years ago.

Since then I have been downloading any MP3s I needed. And I have since built quite a connection IMO.

[Lebell]

I won't buy a cd for one or two songs and a bunch of filler. I will buy a cd if I find a group I really like (this was how I was turned onto Bare Naked Ladies).

[bundy]

no more cds for me.
three cheers for MP3.
(and Kazaa Lite)

[BoCo]

Originally posted by sixate
I almost never buy a CD. Only if it's one of my favorite bands. Otherwise, I steal away!

That reminds me... how do you like that Henry Rollins I sent ya?

[phoenix1002]

We've been discussing this a lot in one of my classes lately. Here's what we've determined so far.
-the software that supports file sharing is legal; sharing mp3s is not
-it is very difficult for an artist who does not get picked up by one of the majors to get national exposure, so in a sense they are paying for the exposure with the cuts the recording industry takes
-one of the reasons record companies take such a cut is because for every band they promote, pay for studio fees, and distribute that is successful, there are usually 3 or 4 bands that they supported and flopped; they need to take a larger cut so they can get money back from those flops

there was more stuff, but I can't think of it now.

That said, I still download music. However, I generally use KazaaLite to find music, and if I like it, I'll buy the cd when I have the money. However, if the band only has two good songs, then I have no qualms about just downloading it. Although the recording industries get a large cut, buying cds still is supporting the bands you like.

I also think the recording companies need to stop fighting the new technology, and start working with it. They are fighting a fight that they cannot win, so they need to drop the price of CDs and come up with some better alternatives. If Cds were closer to $10 rather than $20, I suspect more people would be willing to buy them. So instead of blaming everything on file sharing, the recording companies need to tighten their belts during the bad economy like everyone else and seriously reexamine their policies and operations.

[qpid]

as someone earlier said if i like a band i'll see them in concert but i'll still download their cd, sicne they mke like maybe a buck off of the $15 cd but oodlles of dough off my $40 concert ticket, plus they get the added thrill of performing live

[pazza]

Lol ,

stealing music is my right

. Damn straight its my right, what have the artists ever done to deserve my hard earned money..

[phoenix1002]

All I'm saying is that if you're not going to go to a band's concert, or if you can't, you should try to do something to support them, especially if you're listening to their music. A lot of starting bands have said that initially they like file sharing, because it gets their name out, but then everyone has their music and people don't buy the cds. I just think people need to remember to support their bands sometimes.

[HeyAgain]

Let's just say, even with the introduction of mp3s, artists aren't suffering financially and unable to live their fancy lifestyle.

All they have to do is become a spokeperson for a particular product, and they will make more money than what most of us make in one single year.

[w3r7y]

I buy music from people who I want to support. I download music from people who I think are douche bags, but still think the song is pretty good.

[Gatecrasher]

no stopping it now... music industry simpley needs a new business plan.

[Junchbailey]

I haven't bought a CD in about 3 years. Alot of my downloads are to replace the 100 or so CDs that got stolen from me. Is it wrong to get free music, yes. Do I care, not really. It's the record companies fault for fixing proces on CDs so nobody wants to buy them anymore.

[SiN]

not voting, because i do not like the wording of your choices..

but, i download music, mostly full albums from FTP/IRC, with the occasional rare kazaa single track d/l.

i don't feel like it's my 'right' or whatever..i just do it because i can, i guess..

besides, i've oft not had enough income to purchase CD's.
when i did, they were often used.

[Atropos4]

I download mp3's but not very often...And like most other people it helps me to decide if I want to buy the cd

[BubblegumTeflon]

The wording of the poll itself is a little bit awkward, but anyway. I am sure that one day everyone, not just savvy people, but everyone will see through their lies and figure out the truth. The music companies are losing money because it's their own fault. They make a cd cost more than a dvd, they promote crappy generic music, and they act pompous and arrogant towards the general public. All of these things are the true cause of their earnings loss, and the mp3 file-swapping thing is just their scapegoat.

[R-Dubb604]

mp3 swapping is the best thing EVER to happen to the internet

almost all of my mp3s are of cd quality, so its just like having the real deal except for the labels

[duckduck]

I download and, if it really suites my tastes, I buy. Have the same philosophy with computer games. I figure that if they put out a good product, me buying it will prolly put out more products I like. Win, Win.

[guthmund]

I follow the buying a car philosophy when buying music.

I test-drive it before I buy it. $20 bucks is a lot of money for a coaster if I don't dig the album.

So I buy what I like and download the rest.

I show my support for the bands by buying concert tickets and t-shirts, not shiny discs in plastic cases.

[PHYcos]

I've was using Napster form the second BETA till its collapse. Now I'm using WinMX and I can say that nobody is gonna stop me getting MP3s.

[krazykemist]

I don't listen to most main stream music. Most of it is not even from this country. Living in the area I do I am not able to goto the store to purchase German/Irish/Indian music when all they carry is Britney Spears and 50 Cent. I have thought about and tried to order music cd's online but the shipping prices can be outrageous. At least in the store the few albums they do have i am able to preview the tracks first.
Therefore I download music. I have a substantial collection of 8tracks/vinyls/cassesttes/cds so I do not feel bad about doing it. I am broadening my musical knowledge in the means that are available to me.

[MrFlux]

I mostly just borrow my friends cds and rip them myself, on the other hand I have bought CDs for other people (im not crummy enough to give away a copied cd as a birthday present... well i guess that depends on who it's for) and i have been to several concerts (especially for NZ bands :P).