'Nearly 100 per cent of music fans copy music illegally'

Crowd at this years Oxegen festival 2007. Pic James Quinton

Poll reveals fans' downloading and copying habits

Jun 17, 2008
57 Comments
Various Artists news, reviews, video and tour dates
Add Various Artists to MyNME

A new poll conducted by the British Music Rights has found that 96 per cent of the 1,100 14-24-year-olds polled admit to illegally copying music.

The poll also found that the average number of illegally downloaded songs in the music collections of those questioned was 842 – with a total average of 1,770 songs stored on their MP3 players.

Those questioned who illegally downloaded the most songs downloaded up to 5,000 songs a month, the poll found.

What do you think of the results of this new poll? Does it suggest that illegal downloading is becoming more of a problem? Or do you think illegal downloading is not the menace some organisations make it out to be? Sign in to MyNME below and leave your comments.

Share this story:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Reddit

Comments (57)

Add a comment

ed2005

Jun 17, 2008

With regards to this and the Kiss story...this is the equivalent of people taping stuff in days gone by.CDS have been sold at vastly inflated prices which is why people have done this, They cannot afford to buy it (with the threat of a recession do you think this is going to get any better?some old albums are deleted and not even available on download services like eMusic or iTunes. I cannot find studio albums like Curve's Doppelganger, Wedding Present's Watusi, or the Darling Buds or Primitives albums (I'm 31!)Added to which, if people download the album, they might yet buy it when they have the money. I taped many albums and then bought them over time when I had money. (It's called a back catalogue).Weep no tears for the much of the music industry. Much of this is about money and greed and nothing to do with music at all. The people who do deserve sympathy are the small independent record shops and the music fans who cannot afford to compete with the high street maga chains. The internet makes the whole process fairer and more democratic.

explosivedog

Jun 17, 2008

I'm 16 and I've never downloaded music, illegally or legally. My collection is also over 5000 songs. I admit I do copy mate's CDs sometimes, but always from an original.

J D 918

Jun 17, 2008

I think illegal downloading is just unfortunately the way forward for most music listeners now. But to be honest, if you look at poor quality of album art now, there's not much going for the physical format.If I do download it's generally only with the massive bands who won't miss my Â£9.97, with a lot of the smaller bands I like I feel a little more inclined to give them my cash - they need it more!But maybe it's just a sign that we're going to have to see more excitement in the live music world now? Album sales are just going to fade away at this rate, but a live experience isn't just something you can watch on a screen, you need to be there to feel the atmostphere, the excitement of seeing that talent on stage.

cultureslut87

Jun 17, 2008

I think music is evolving as a whole. We saw the emergance of gurilla gigs a few years ago, the re-emergance of DIY culture, warehouse raves becoming more popular again and so on. Not all of it is new, a lot has been done before but its goes to show that the way in which people view and interact with music will never go away, much of it was shocking at the time but now is just 'the way it is', downloading music is still quite new and it scares some people. Downloading music illegally is not such a problem really, people still buy cd's and people still pay for music on sites such as itunes. many people say they download songs first then buy the cd, it exposes people to far more bands than just listening to the radio and thats not to say the radio does not play good music,downloading is just quicker. Every year more bands emerge and have success and every year is always reffered to as 'a great year for music' ,downloading music helps keep up and coming bands alive. It's the rich successful bands who complain. On a lighter note, i recommend everyone watch the south park episode 'christian rock hard' and realise some things about illegal music downloads

yrvancouver

Jun 17, 2008

I completely agree with ed2005.I mainly download torrent files of albums and records that i can't find anywhere to BUY. Boards Of Canada's Peel Sessions for example. Been looking to PAY MONEY for it for ages and just couldn't find it anywhere so the obvious option from there is to download it illegally. I only wanted to hear the music. It's not as if we're downloading out of spite towards the musicians; quite the opposite. I don't think this argument will ever be settled and to think that it will just because the government puts in internet security of some sort is silly.

tommy070

Jun 17, 2008

I do download a lot of music illegally, I admit that. It may be a lame excuse, but it's simply cause I cannot afford to buy all the music I like. I do, however, buy music as well. I think that those who illegally download the most music are also the ones who buy the most music - legally. Other polls in the past have corroborated that as well.

paranoid_android

Jun 17, 2008

i download a lot of music, but if its good i then buy it on cd or vinyl, if its rubbish i delete it. I use downloads like a radio as most radio shows are 90% talking by some inbred dj and 10% awful music.The fact is if its a good album I will buy it, so unless an artist is crap they have nothing to worry about from me

daire

Jun 17, 2008

Illegal downloading is not the same as taping songs off the radio. I don't believe people when they say they're going to buy the CD if the album they download is any good. However, I also don't believe that every illegal download would've been bought in pre-download days. It allows people to listen to albums they wouldn't usually get a chance to hear - as they'd have to fork out 20 euro or Â£10 - which no doubt boosts that artists' fanbase and therefore their ticket sales. Still, this increase is unlikely to rebalance the loss they make from CD sales that would've been made if downloads weren't an option. Unfortunately, artists are suffering and will continue to do so until illegal downloads are somehow prevented. But I have no sympathy for the big record companies that are going under as a result of this; they've been ripping us off for years and hopefully the end result will be that artists will have control of their music again, rather than suits who only care about sales.

mAttthhheaLy

Jun 17, 2008

Lifter Puller - Soft Rock averages at Â£70 on the web. If the label rereleases that I promise I'll never download another record ever.But it's not gonna happen, so I'm going to continue to download obscure records that can't be found ANYWHERE else... ps, anyone know where I can get some Sweep The Leg, Johnny? I can't find any of their stuff instore or online :/

beforeandafter

Jun 17, 2008

I'll be honest, i don't buy that much music, but i download plenty illegally. it's not that i think music is worthless, it's just that while i'm on minimum wage, i can't afford to line the pockets of EMI and Bono and the like (although i wouldn't even download U2 illegally). Maybe when i'm a big record exec or pompous rock star i'll consider paying for albums.P.S. if the PRS is going to be childish about letting people listen to the radio at work, then i don't feel guilty about downloading at allhttp://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/37429

fallacy

Jun 17, 2008

It's funny how people say 'I copy friends' cds but only originals.' That's the same as downloading it from the internet.Anyway, I download loads of albums and I've only bought music from bands who offer their stuff for free download with good quality and give us the option to pay foy for without acquiring the physical carrier. It's not just NIN and Radiohead, you know.In the same time I go to a concert every week or so, and I buy original merch, even if I'm not going to wear it at all. It's my way of making a distinction between paying for art and for a product.P.S. Downloading music from the internet is nature friendly as well.

shep82

Jun 17, 2008

I only illegally download singles when I don't have any money, but if I have the money I download them legally from iTunes. I also buy CDs from music stores every week.I think it's alright to illegally download music aslong as you still legally buy music aswell.

CrashingBlimp

Jun 17, 2008

Illegal downloading gives fans a chance to test the music and, more often than not, if they like what they hear, they'll pay to see them in concert.

the_troglodyte

Jun 17, 2008

Unfortunately a lot of music companies do themselves no favours with fans with this sort of nonsense. Okay people download music illegally and share it illegally but they spent years robbing music fans before music sharing became a 'big issue'.But who gets this information? How many of these downloads are of pre-releases or live versions/remixes etc? The music industry also does itself no favours with 'proper music fans' when they pay stars like robbie williams and westlife huge amounts and then plead poverty. Look at how much it costs to go to a gig these days - Â£50 to see the foo fighters, oasis, metallica to name a few. Then by the time you pay for a hotel (cos they only play big cities) travel, t-shirts, food and drink you've spent Â£200 going to see them, so pardon these kids nicking a few tracks which they could have taped off the radio anyway. Do they consider the positive impact of downloading music for free? How many people (like myself) have downloaded someone like the libertines many moons ago and subsequently bought their singles, albums, ep, babyshambles and dirty pretty things album and singles, gone to see them about 12 times live and bought t-shirts, etc? I'm in a fortunate position now i'm a bit older where I can afford to buy albums, cds, downloads (owning the cd is much better).If they spent more time trying to diversify their product range and offer a better service to fans including things like interaction with the fans then maybe the kids would be less inclined to pinch tracks. But if you ask a group of kids how many kids have stolen something, you can't tell me nearly every kid would say as they've nicked some sweets from a sweet shop or something like that.....These are also the record companies who constantly refuse to do anything about ticket touts as well which quite frankly makes me not care one bit about whether someone pinches music or not. Football clubs ban ticket sales (ok thats because of the threat of hooligans getting in) but it shows that they can be stopped so until the companies start trying to look after the fans the kids are always going to stick two fingers up at the record companies and fair play to them.

missionverdana

Jun 17, 2008

I used to have stuff illegally, but I've deleted most of it now. The only reason I kept some was because I can't buy it from anywhere; it's out of print. I want to pay for music and support artists though, which is why I still buy CDs even though many people I know don't bother anymore since it's so easy to download legally from sites like iTunes.

PedroCapistrano

Jun 17, 2008

Theres another good question about illegal downloading.Im from Brazil and the best album that i ve heard this year is from Elbow (The Seldom Seen Kid).Friends, even if a have the money to buy the album, i couldnt, cause they will never release an album in Brazil.I could try to download this album at itunes store, but we (brazilians) have no access to this virtual store.So, my only solution was to download that album.Its not fair, only cause i came from a poor country, not having a access to good music.The music industry didnt give any choice to me.--I totally agree with tommy070...that those who illegally download the most music are also the ones who buy the most music - legally.

Woolly-yeah

Jun 17, 2008

There is soo much music available nowadays, its impossible for big music fans to hear all the new bands if they have to buy the CDs.In my Opinion the 'good' bands will make money from touring and merchandise, its only the bands who do not write their own material and who do not have long careers who cause record labels to suffer.Music should be free so that people can discover bands, if bands are good enough to last, they shouldnt need the money from record sales.

ldngigs

Jun 17, 2008

It's funny, because all the averages in that article are almost exactly the same for me(I'm roughly guessing about the illegal downloads). I had to do a speech for school the other day and chose this. I was saying how it's so widespread that record companies have to change their business models, this article really illustrates my point

jeffn

Jun 17, 2008

The comments here are mostly spot on - people realise that the music business is its own worst enemy. the massive amoutn of illegal downloading is part of the battle to revolutionise the music industry - I don't condone it, but I understand why it happens. Real music fans and savvy new bands are seeking legal alternatives, coming up from the roots and using the internet as a tool to promote music for free, and share financial rewards fairly. The bands in the know are using site like Sellaband, slicethenpie, and cherryecho.com to share their music and work towards getting paid for making it.

lipgloss

Jun 17, 2008

i don't see the problem myself, music is for the public domain, the more people who hear the music should matter more than the money you make. the money is not in record sales anymore anyway, the way forward is gigs and merchandise, if people have downloaded some good tunes for free they're more than likely to go see the band live, or pay for a ltd edt cd/vinyl etc. I think its great, it opens up the market to new and exciting music. the record labels have fucked themselves to be honest, they need to get with the music over money attitude!!

jl1030

Jun 17, 2008

i download quite a bit of music, but also, i'll buy the album is i feel it has been put a lot of effort in it, i reckon by downloading illegally gives me a chance to test out the album before making the purchase, which is good coz i simply cannot afford to buy too the music i like legally.....

n45hro

Jun 17, 2008

most artists make their money from touring and merch anyway! the download laws are only there to protect some rich bastard who exploits the talents of others for his own personal gain! Also if a band releases a good album i will download it and then go out and buy the hard copy, and i dont think this is uncommon!

jimmy kinski

Jun 17, 2008

i buy a lot of vinyl, but from second hand record dealers. im pretty sure none of this money finds its way back to the musicians, as theyre flogging albums for 3/4 quid a go, but im buying the music legally. i know this is a small part of a far bigger issue, but its food for thought :)i download a lot music supposedly illegally, but if i hear it on the radio or in a club it is deemed legal. the ownership thing is a grey area, but i know im supporting the music business because i spend a lot of money in it and do a lot of work for it. the idea of it being being branded a thief for my downloading is strange, as a musician myself i dont think of the music i play at gigs as a 'product' to be stolen. i think a lot of the people really worried about the downloading are the people who WOULD consider music a 'product', the people who market westlife, etc, as there was never a huge amount of money in it for the ordinary gigging recording artist during the early stages of their recording careers anyway. this has to be a big part of the problem - if people thought they were stealing from their favourite bands, their idols, their heroes, they wouldnt do it, but realistically if theyre stealing from anyone its the rich people at the top of the tree missing out, and they are the ones who have been nicking of the talented musicians for donkeys years anyway!

explosivedog

Jun 17, 2008

Most CDs and DVDs do have "not for resale" on them? I might be wrong. As to all the people who say CDs are too expensive, you're obviously not a real fan of a band. Saving up for an album makes it all the more special. I spend almost all my money on CDs and gigs.

GonePhysco

Jun 17, 2008

I am a 14 year old music fan and I don't illegally download music, then again I try to avoid downloading all together. I think it is a shame that people do it because of the way it is affecting music labels, major and indie, but it really is the labels faults for not reacting quickly enough. I just hope that downloads aren't the way the music industry is heading because you really can't beat good ole' records.

somecoolusername

Jun 17, 2008

I'm in the same position as explosivedog, I am 15 and have about 7000 songs in my collection / on my ipod and have never illegally downloaded, I have a lot of CDs which I have bought and I don't even generally download things legally although have been a bit more recently. I downloaded In Rainbows and I download the free tracks when my favourite bands post them but that's about it. I also copy off my friend's CDs sometimes but the originals or if they have bought something off itunes or a similar site I have occasionally had them burn me a copy but nothing more, no illegal downloading, thanks.

JoeBananas

Jun 17, 2008

The endless criticisms of record companies is incredibly naieve. For those of you who don't or haven't worked in the industry, the division of money from the sale of a CD is not the rip off you all blindly think it is.Look at it another way - without these terrible record companies, you wouldn't have heard the bulk of the music you all so revere now...bands rarely make it on their own...

Moosh2k7

Jun 17, 2008

I tend to download an album, and if I think it warrants a purchase and is good enough. I mean, a world where musicians just get rewarded for being good, and not because of their record label or anything, is some world surely. Bands are starting to fend for themselves much more these days, as people won't be buying their albums because they can see how much they enjoy/hate the album prior to that.Also, it means that so much more people can hear the music. There are so many bands I have been introduced to thanks to downloading, and then decided to buy the album. Downloading has the reverse effect some people think it has. More people hear the music, more fans are made, more gig tickets are sold etc etc. Downloading promotes artists so much more, They no longer have to rely on the small chance a record manager might hear them. Small bands now have it much easier, and the music industry is growing.

explosivedog

Jun 17, 2008

The worst thing about downloading (illegal and legal) is that the majority of people never listen to anything other than singles. This means that bands who don't have radio friendly singles, but do release outstanding albums never get exposure. The radio friendly bands just get exposure for one or two songs.

helpme!

Jun 17, 2008

i download music illegally,i admit that.But i was going to be charged Â£15 for a CDIt cost me Â£9.50 to go and see that same band,on a double headliner tour.I buy CDs if I have the money.And usually I buy the CDs i've already downloaded and made sure it's a value for money.I'm sure I'm not the only one who's bought an album and then been disappointed

andyc53

Jun 17, 2008

I totally agreeth "Joe Bananas" here I think you've all or at least the majority of you you have missed the point in some way or another and are indeed being rather "naieve". In some ways this is all rather selfish just because you don't want to line the pockets of major bands and record companies, if we carry on with that attitude then we'll end up with a string of very poor local and pub singer style bands and God know's surely anyone with any sense has had enough of that. Plus this whole attitude is selfish really as you'd soon be complaining if after a hard day at work you found out that you weren't going to to get paid just because you're survices could be obtained elsewhere for nothing, where does it end really, why not steal from the shops as well just so you don't have to pay for it. I'm sick to death of the word "revolution" being used as well, what are we revolting against? I concede that yes I've personally borrowed the occasional CD of a mate or illegally dowenloaded the odd single track here and there but to go as far as a whole album is bloody rediculas. A true fan would send his/her money in order to be part of something unless music is no longer art and simply entertainment to us.

alexfinney12

Jun 18, 2008

I only ever buy CD's because i like to have the CD rather than spending the same money to get something only playable on a computer and ipod! I dont ever want to download a whole album but i will carry on buying, CDs arent that exprensive anyway!

posty#29

Jun 18, 2008

I agree with most of the above comments, i illegally download whole albums and i will always buy them if they are good enough and i do buy a fair few cds. Also it means i can hear albums before their official release date. I don't really see a problem with people downloading illegally as long as they do pay for some things eg. a few cds, going to gigs. Any new and upcoming bands should know what the present situation is like, people will illegally download their music and they should be prepared for it, personally i would just be pleased that somebody would want to listen to music that i had made.

GavinW

Jun 18, 2008

i think that the record companies have brought this on themselves by having cd's at ridiculus prices. i also know a guy who illegally downloads music, and he says that he wouldn't buy most of the cd's he downloads, he wouldn't have bought anyways, and if he downloads an album to ceck out a band, and is impressed by them, he will go out and buy it.

wendytime

Jun 18, 2008

I have to agree with andyc--it's the musicians who suffer from illegal downloading, not these big record companies. Besides, more and more big name artists such as Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, and Oasis are opting in signing with indie labels or putting out their own music to side step these evil empires. So as far as the thought in thinking that you are giving the finger to these large labels by not paying for music guess again, it is ultimately the artist that suffers. Labels are known to drop musicians from contract if the artist does not meet any benchmark sales.I'm not sure if it is a generation thing going on but I am 30 y/o and I never had any desire to illegally download. I gladly support the musicians I respect and I am fan of in purchasing CD's and/or legitimately downloading the songs. Why would I help a good artist possibly get cut from a label or better, not get compensated for their hard work and time by not purchasing their work?

Jimmy2605

Jun 18, 2008

Illegall downloading - simple, fast and free - whilst it is that number will get ever closer to 100. Quality music will drive people to see it live so there is still plenty of money in there for the artists. If they are predicting hard times now break up and in 10 years time they can be rolling in it with a reunnion tour !!

Jam-min

Jun 18, 2008

100% of music fans or 96% of the interviewees? You can't genralize worldwide music fans to 1,100 British 14-24 year olds.But if I download an album, then like it, Il buy the next release of the band. I'd never before downloading anything call myself a fan of the band, or else I would buy the album.In most cases I'd have never become a fan of a band - leading to me buying the album if, I hadn't have downloaded anything, so in a roundabout way your getting more money off me.

Jimbly

Jun 18, 2008

I think the excuses for downloading by Yrvancouver and Ed2005 and a couple of others are pretty poor. I've never illegally downloaded music and I have several thousand CDs plus tapes and vinyl. I've been shopping online for 7 years or so, and I don't think there is a CD yet, including out of print, that I haven't been able to find (though some at a hefty price). A quick search on Amazon UK, and half.com and Amazon US and I found all the music they listed as impossible to find. Watusi was a bit pricey (but readily available), but half.com had several Darling Buds albums for 40p! Amazon UK had Boards of Canada Peel Sessions for a fiver, and Doppelganger for a couple of quid. I'm sure you could communicate with a seller of a used copy if you needed to get a CD shipped from overseas (I live in the US now and have plenty of stuff shipped over). If you can work out how to post a message here you can work out how to find ANY CD on the web! For tapes and vinyl that are too expensive to get on CD (or unavailable) that's another issue, but you can always convert them to mp3. Even CDs that are copy-protected can be easily converted to mp3 with the right software. Bottom line - you can find anything you want online with a little effort.

explosivedog

Jun 18, 2008

To all those people that say illegal downloading actually increases the number of people who hear a band, and then buy the album. Let's have a gander at the statistics, CD sales are dropping fast, whilst legal downloading is still far smaller than illegal downloading. People don't go out and buy the majority of music they download, even those who buy everything they like are in the minority. Downloading illegally greatly damages bands, record labels and fans who can't buy an album on CD because it's download only (eg. I still refuse to buy the Idlewild b-sides collection because I want it on CD, and yes, I'm obsessive enough that I brought the greatest hits despite already owning all the tracks). If you want to hear a band before you buy it, try having a listen through on last.fm, myspace or the radio. You can decide based on that evidence easily.To those who say buying a CD can be disappointing, isn't that the whole fun? I love buying albums because I like the band's name, or I've heard someone say it's good. It makes it so much more satisfying when you find out it is fucking fantastic. Music is art, and I think Bob Dylan said the other day, "art shouldn't be free".

monty12345

Jun 18, 2008

MAKE ALBUMS CHEAPER!!!

randomgirl666

Jun 18, 2008

Only 96%? Presumably the other 4% don't have computers. People will still buy albums if they have sufficient incentive (if it's a favourite artist, a well reviewed album or an album with more than one hit on it), but they object to paying just for one song and I can understand that. As the music industry diversifies, it gets harder and harder to hear stuff by new bands in any specific genre. If I couldn't illegally download stuff by new artists to give it a try, I wouldn't have bought many of the albums I've bought in the last couple of years. It's not like we can rely on the radio or the music TV channels to play a good mix of new music (especially if you're not an indie or dance fan), so illegal downloading helps to expose people to new music. As for the artists, the problem here is not that illegal downloading is cutting their profits, but that they are given too small a slice of the pie in the first place due to unfair record label contracts.

whoknowswhy

Jun 18, 2008

read music 2.0 - of check gerd leonard's blog. it is laughable how much the music industry is ignoring change and trying to perpetuate the days of easy profiteering by over charging fans for music. it used to be the labels deciding how much everyone else in the industry paid for things. now the consumer / the fan is telling them. let's hope they listen or they'll waste even more time and money trying to make criminals of music fans!the music industry is dead. long live the music industry!

underclasshero

Jun 18, 2008

Whilst i understand that in the modern music scene the bigger record labels unfortunately tend to play a role in helping artists get there music out there, its not to say a band can't get out there without one, Enter Shikari are a great example of a huge indie label band, and I'm more than happy to by there CD's because the money is going to them, not some record label, obviously some bands want to be signed and thats not a problem, but as long as its costing Â£10 for a CD sure i will by a CD every now and then but I'm sure as hell not going to stop downloading, being in a band and having many friends in bands its nice just to have people listening to the music, obviously CD sales are great, but the best thing people can do is go and see the band, get a piece of merchandise from the gig, the band get far more of the money from this than they do from CD sales... And in my experiance more 'rock/emo/whatever' fans tend to prefer albums, its more sorta chavs n' that who go for just singles.

definetly_music

Jun 18, 2008

from one side, it's bad to downald illegal music 'cause the artists doesn't have the gains, but from the other side, music is not only money and comercial, unfortunatly, now a days it seem to be like that =(

Lewis Jamieson

Jun 18, 2008

There's a lot of disinformation flying around these comments. Record companies see no revenue from touring and merchandise unless they have a new 360 degree deal with an artist and there are very few of them so those suggesting they make millions from this area are wrong. This idea that record companies have been ripping us off for years? Not sure how you get to that to be honest, an album ar full price costs Â£12.99 and lasts for as long as you want it. 30 years of entertainment for Â£13? That's a round of drinks so in terms of value I would suggest we need to be a little less dramatic in our terminology. Granted, the cost of the cd isn't huge in itself but recording and three tax hits don't help the economics and remember your favourite band want some of that Â£12.99 as well. We can debate what a fair price is for an album but clearly it can't be Â£0 as no artist can record for absolutely nothing and, ultimately, your favourite artists will cease to record if they can't maintain some income from being an artist. Before everyone screams about them making huge profits from touring, get under the 2000 capacity mark and you'll be lucky to make any significant money from touring, more likely you'll be cap in hand to the label for tour support. And where does that come from? Yep, record sales...And finally, whoever is complaining that record labels don't stop ticket touts, that would be a job for the promoters who have demanded anti touting measures from the government several times and got nowhere. Pick your targets correctly people.

wesley1

Jun 18, 2008

Firstly, surely it's within someone's rights if they purchase an album or a track and then choose to share it with others for free ?? Personally speaking, being an avid music fan whom likes to listen to new stuff all the time and keep abrest of the latest bands / artists within the music world, i 'obtain', on average, about 10 new albums EACH WEEK, either by downloading torrents or via pirate copied CD's, my philospophy being that if I like them, then i buy the original. if i were to purchase all albums i want to listen to each week, in their original format, then based on an average CD price of Â£10 (some being lower and some being higher), then this would cost me more than Â£100 each week!!! obvioulsy this is not an option and i'd imagine would not be to most working class folk. my general outlook is that i'd rather listen to music (using whatever means necessary) than be in a position where i cant afford to purchase originals and therefore not listen to something at all, hence my approach. maybe if the CD's were sold at a more acceptable price which reflected their actual production cost, then i would perhaps be in a position to purchase them 'legally'. then i shouldnt use that term because in my opinion it should not be deemed 'illegal' in the first place, thats a term brought about by greedy record company big wigs who are just f*cked off cos their massive and over inflated profits are taking a hammering by the people that count !!!f*ck em all !!!!!!!! its simple hobson's choice: drop CD prices or learn to live with it !!!!!!

Camaceron

Jun 18, 2008

Musical climate is very different to past generations where taping off the radio was the norm. The mere existence of the internet means that more music is widely available to the masses. Whence before a person had to discover a band by reading a musc press or stumbling across them at a gig, now all someone has to do is go onto a myspace. This generally means that music fans that enjoy a wide variety of musical styles and many different artists can branch out into unknown territories. If you hear of a new band influenced by one of your favourite bands, you would be inclined to find some of their music. For these music fans downloading music is a necessity when a CD tends to cost about Â£10. I agree that record companies and artists need to find a happy medium between fans downloading their music and buying their merchandise.

stewhe1979

Jun 18, 2008

I bought Vanilla Ices album when I was 11 and it cost 9 quid.I bought Oasis, Definately Maybe in 95 it was 14.99. I have a huge cd collection and worked in Vmegastore, spendind all my wages.Now it feels fair to not pay. Its called pay back. I feel I'm gettin back what I put in! The industry have to accept that they have been ripping off Joe public all over the world for a long time.I have no sympathy at all. Money from live gigs would be enuff for anyone to live a comfortable life.

jamie876

Jun 18, 2008

I generally buy new singles from iTunes and albums from my local record shop. But sometimes music just isn't available, especially dance tracks that the record company only releases on vinyl. In addition, I'm trying to get MP3s of all the old songs I have on tape and most of those aren't available legally, and even if they were I couldn't afford to buy them all.The other problem is release dates. Any song I hear on the radio should be available to download immediately, not in 4 weeks' time. That's 4 weeks for people to download illegal versions, or 4 weeks for people to wait for the proper download â€“ by which time they will have either forgotten about it, or got so fed up with hearing it they won't want it.

dan_m_t

Jun 18, 2008

how is this news?

ed2005

Jun 18, 2008

My comment was the first one on here, and I stand by what I said. I did slag off parts of the music industry, but I do that from the perspective of someone who writes a blog and for a music magazine, and used to work in three different record shops. The first of these record shops was a massive high street mega store, and the prices there were outgrageous. As it was on the high street, much of the money went on rents. I know this because the second and third record shops I worked for were way cheaper. They were not on the high street.So to be fair, it's not just the record companies but the major shops too.As for the record companies, I know someone who was in a band that were on Rough Trade and the label screwed them. Bands have to wait a long time for royalties to get through. Most of their money was spent bailing out another rock star on the label with a very PUBLIC smack habit.As a writer and blogger, many artists and record companies have got in touch with me to promote their material. If it's good and I post it -with their blessing- if not, I don't. I spend a fortune on music, even when i have very little of it. Between my wife and I we have 2000 albums that we have bought. Yes, I have downloaded stuff, but then I bought it. We go to loads of gigs, and would go to more if we could afford it. On average I spend in at least four figures buying music each year. I don't think I am the root of the problem.Back in 1999, the Offspring were the downloaded band on the internet and they had their most successful year ever. The major record companies would sell baked beans if it wasn't for music, to believe this is not the case...now that really IS naive. Record companies expect results too quickly, thirty years ago when Boy came out, U2 would probably have been dropped by theirrecord label by the time they were recoding their second album. Successful bands need time to grow (see the aforementioned U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REM who took many albums before they were packing stadia, whether you like them or not).

charlotte.x

Jun 18, 2008

I download music, but the thing is - this gives me the chance to listen to music that I would not normally get to hear. If I like it, I then go out and buy the full album and/or see the band live...things which I probably wouldn't do without hearing at least a couple of their songs, to avoid wasting my money on stuff that turns out to be rubbish. I've found so much good music on downloads that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to hear if I'd have had to pay for it. One good example is the Arctic Monkeys - I'd downloaded practically their whole album before they had even been signed, and I think it's safe to say that's true of most of their fans - and look where they got! Nobody can say that illegal downloads did them any harm. If anything, the music industry should embrace free downloads, not constantly seek to criminalize it - they won't do themselves any favours by doing so, and will probably end up worse off.

JoeBananas

Jun 18, 2008

ED2005: Bands do not wait a long time for royalties to get through to them. Accounting periods are ALWAYS either quarterly or half yearly and in that time they have an advance to live off, to be paid off with future royalties - which brings around another point, if no one is buying the records, the advances don't get paid off and the labels can't afford to keep the bands on, regardless of the narcotic habits of their other label mates. Furthermore, regarding the impatience of record companies, previously (such as when Boy came out) recorded music had some value, which through the plague of downloading has now been diminished beyond belief. Labels could afford time to work with and develop acts and the money earned from already established acts allowed this process to continue. Now, the market is much different, the short careers of many acts is directly in line with the fact that no one buys their music anymore, they simply download it royalty free and sales don't accrue to justify working with the acts further. From a business perspective, which whether you like it or not all music has to be viewed from, there is no logic in keeping a project going that the books show is in a negative balance. And how to recoup this? Logically drive the price of CDs up, but herein lies another problem, labels can't do this to fill the void because the records simply don't sell - CDs are cheaper now then ever before. Look at the major supermarkets for example, who now sell at a loss to drive up sales of other products.This argument will never end whilst ever music is available for free outside of the established retail chains...the more you download, the less the lifespan of acts, the less revenue, the sooner this industry we all love so much will eventually die. Record companies aren't wholly to blame...

mansunthemonkey

Jun 19, 2008

WELL SAID JoeBananas. WISE WORDS

djminger007

Jun 19, 2008

art should not be bought and sold and is a footprint/echo of someones soul!!! art should be free for all to see!!! most galleries are just ask banksy, he sells his art but is there for all to see for free, music should be the same!!!!!!!!!!

andyc53

Jun 20, 2008

that's complete trash! Artists have to put food on the table no matter what the medium. Besides albums aren't that expensice anyway just shope around you can buy them dirt cheap on sites like amazon. Just get a grip for goodness sake.

nedrauk

Jul 31, 2008

A few thoughts - Most illegal download quality is not really good enough - It is aimed at the lowest bitrates.First week pricing of singles and then hiking the price cuts sales overall.Radio "playlists" mean you don't actually get to hear many bands, just the same tracks repeatedly! More often than not a chunk of the track gets talked over!Does anyone now actually listen to an album as intended?As to taping songs, where can you buy a radiocassette these days? I took one back to Comet for a repair - (the CD had broken) "We can't fix it, we'll recycle it for you!" I had it fixed by a local firm!Supermarket "lost leading" Well they used to sell cover versions on compilation albums. They sell a VERY limited range at cut prices. That does real music retailers no favours and in turn affects buyers who no longer have a local store.Is it any wonder (Chameleons track) that folks download?