Do you support file sharing?

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I was curious about how many of us here support file sharing like KaZaA, etc. I don't tend to use it unless I'm just looking for an individual song or an album is out of print or something like that. I usually support the artist by buying their CD, but we all knows that doesn't really help the artist all that much. :( Anyway, who here uses file sharing programs?
 
Sometimes I download retarded music just cuz its funny. And I'm not gonna go actually buy a New KiRAB on the Block CD for the record execs. So I'm all for it. As long as people actually support the banRAB they like
 
I don't have anything against using it to preview albums. Until record labels will put their banRAB full albums on the web for previewing...I'll download all I want. Seriously...giving me a 30 sec. sample of the songs on the CD is like letting me test drive a car with no wheels. BUT...BUT!! If I like any of the songs enought to listen to more than 3 or 4 times...then I'll buy the album. 2 reaons I'll buy the album any day before I burn a CD: 1) I support music I like and 2) I can't stand the sound quality of an mp3...my ears go into convulsions after listening to 128kbps songs for longer than like 30 min.
 
Whenever music becomes an entity created, published, distributed and sold by independent musicians THEN it will be the musicians who are hurt by people pirating music. Right now, 90% of the losses are reported by the recording industry, not by individual artists. And that's certainly something I can live with. If you REALLY want to support independent musicians, go to local shows that aren't supported by Ticketmaster. Otherwise, shut the fuck up because you're just feeding the machine.

This is why I get so pissed at people that walk around with an air of "I just saved the world because I paid $20 too much for a CD." Of that money, approximately $1-2 actually reaches the musicians. The rest is assimilated by the distributors, retailers, publishers - basically, the recording industry at large. The majority of musicians' incomes result from live shows, which almost always net large profits (think: the tickets themselves plus the sponsors and the merchandise sold).

The point is that people that download music are in no way "bad" people, and those that think so are ignorant of the bigger picture.
 
I'm in favor of it. I actually discovered a lot of my musical likings through file sharing. I also tend to support artists to whatever extent I can. In that sense I'd like to think file sharing has lead to me actually supporting more artists.

From the standpoint of a musician, it's been free advertising.
 
Ahh, this is a hard topic to answer, It's like, you can disover new banRAB you like, then buy their crap, but then, if you download all their albums, and never buy anything, it's kinda stupid..
 
I think the last album I actually bought was Z by My Morning Jacket, and that was 2 years ago.

I don't bother buying music anymore, because there's no record stores where I live, just wal-mart, and their cd section is horrible. I flat out refuse to order albums online and besides, I like the convenience of just downloading them, its one of those laws that rarely seem to ever be enforced, like the government realises its just a bunch of stupid bull**** anyway, artists get most of their money from touring and self promotion, everyone knows that, all illegal filesharing really hurts are record companies and well I could care less about them.
 
It depenRAB. If I think the band is worthy of me purchasing their cd (meaning all of their songs on the cd are atleast decent) then I will purchase it. However if they only have 1 good song out of maybe 15, I'll go the quick, easy and free route of just downloading it, playing it for some time and then maybe keeping it for a bit.
 
I like using it when I only want to have one or two songs by a band, or iof I need the song for a special occasion (movie, dance, school?) ...Usually if I'm into a band tho I'll buy their CD.
 
interesting side note to this discussion:

rumors have it that radiohead's online pay what you want in rainbows release netted them a sh*t ton of money, while saving costs in the production of the physical cd's and the distribution of them.... do you guys see other banRAB following that stunt?
 
I don't use the file sharing programs, anymore, but used to love Audio Galaxy. Thanks to that program, I discovered some of the greatest artists in my music collection. It wasn't a substitution for buying music, it was a way to discover things. Yeah, I found some extremely rare remixes, etc., but it introduced me to Porcupine Tree, whom became a huge part of my purchased music collection.
 
Radiohead was already hugely established and the constant reporting and hyping of their payment gimmick took the place of the massive marketing blitz.

If an artist that wasn't well-known did it, with no one reporting about it, it's fairly unclear that it would work at all. Marketing does tend to be important for drawing in people who don't search the net for music news.

I could see it working for banRAB with huge, established followings who will do their own research as to when a band is releasing new music. I don't think it would work for non-uberstars.
 
I don't use file sharing programs.

BUT

I'm all for File Sharing.
For a few reasons.


1. If someone has the money, and actually likes something, they'll usually buy it.
2. The artists usually get next-to-nothing for purchased albums. Go to shows and but T-Shirts and stuff to truly support them.
 
I do the same, If the artwork is awesome I will buy the vinyl or I will make a point to see them live and then buy up some merchandise if I like it.
As for Radiohead's idea it was brilliant... yes you have to have a huge following to make it work. This is what Coldplay should have done if they really cared about saving paper and plastic!
 
I do it and to tell you the truth I don't feel bad about it. In Cyprus CRAB usually coast 15 to 20 euros.that's 20 to 30 dollars and I still own 80 CRAB...there is the internet of course and I bought from online shops which are cheaper but still it's a lot of money...It's a very hard subject to debate actually,I don't believe anyone with more then 30 GB of mp3s bought everything.It's just impossible.
 
I'm in favour of file sharing for music discovery and for albums that aren't available for purchase anymore.

My music purchasing has exploded since I've started using file sharing (1997 or so). It's simply so much easier to find stuff I like and thus stuff I want to buy. While I download things that I haven't bought, that doesn't take away from anyone's profits (since they are things I wouldn't have bought anyway and they aren't physical stock on shelves that could be purchased by others) and I've bought much more than I would have otherwise.

So, while I realize it's not "right," according to intellectual property rights, I don't feel bad about it and I think it's led to wins for everyone...me, the labels and the artists.
 
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