Downloading Especially Hurts Al

[anotheralfaninmd]

but, how is this different than when we recorded songs from the radio off to our cassettes? Is the RIAA going to come into everyone's homes and see if we still have them?



as I see it, it's no different than my making a cassette or CD for a friend that doesn't have what music I have, and them making me a CD/cassette of something I don't have....



as I said, maybe if the artists actually made something worth buying, there wouldn't be such a problem in the record industry.... or maybe these fat-cat artists like Puff Daddy don't need to have a Hummer for every day of the week, reduce the prices of CD's and you'll have more people buying them...



I was very upset in the first place when they started making CD's, I loved cassettes, you didn't have to worry about scratching them, and having a player "skip" if you bumped it. I felt like I was forced to buy CD's, and I hated it. I still don't like CD's much, except for the properties like Al's home videos.....



sorry Scotti, I'll always support file sharing... but I will buy CD's from artists that make it worth my money, like Al does

[scottidog]

but, how is this different than when we recorded songs from the radio off to our cassettes? Is the RIAA going to come into everyone's homes and see if we still have them?

as I see it, it's no different than my making a cassette or CD for a friend that doesn't have what music I have, and them making me a CD/cassette of something I don't have....

Well, I have to agree with you there. It is no different. And both are wrong IMO.



I wonder if you would feel the same way about it if it was your music being traded instead of purchased?

[weirdojace]

I usually use Kazaa to download a few songs from a CD, and if I like them, I'll go out and buy it. So, I support file sharing as well.



And also, I have a friend who doesn't have all the money to go out and buy every Weird Al CD, so I have to copy mine for her...

[anotheralfaninmd]

:listen:



if I was an artist, especially like the Dave Matthew's Band, which got popular with the help of people recording their music and having friends hear it, I would use file swapping to my advantage.... to direct people to a website, to hear other works done before/after the one their downloading, etc. You could even put an advertisement at the beginning or end of the song!!!!



like I"ve said, there are creative things artists can do to lure people into buying CD's. BTW, the record industry blames file sharing on all it's problems, file sharing is the LEAST of their problems. I could've downloaded Al's music, but I didnt, because I knew it would be worth the money. Put quality music out there, and people will buy it!!!!

[anotheralfaninmd]

this is from Courtney Love, an artist which I'm not all that crazy about musically, but she does have an insider's view of dealings in the record industry...



http://66.77.169.181/arc20020721.htm



please cut and paste, since I'm a techno idiot....

[Squirrelygirl]

Intellectual property is such a fascinating subject, but I also know how volatile it can be, so let me just interject some thoughts.



On the download side, I have downloaded a few of Al's songs years back. Peter & the Wolf, Jurassic Park sung in Japanese, Baby Likes Burpin' and You Don't Take Your Showers Anymore come to mind. With the exception of Peter & the Wolf, I haven't seen the others available for sale anywhere. Since buying someone's used copy of a record on eBay is only helpful to their wallet, not Al's that's a fairly a moot point.



I have also borrowed CD's (Jethro Tull, Jane's Addiction) from the local

library (which is, I think, an interesting, and not all-together invalid analogy to P2P sharing). Libraries go back literally for centuries, and are

based on the concept that everyone should have access to ideas and culture, even if they can't afford to buy it for themself. I utilize libraries frequently for Books-on-Tape, books, and occasionally CD's and videos. If I can't find what I want in the library, usually I just do without.



Having said that, does it mean I support P2P file sharing. In general, no.

Personally, most of my musical taste is so quirky the music I like can't be found in the usual retail places, and of the music I do have in my computer, only a handful are even from the past 10 years.



I don't have a CD burner -- can't afford it -- and I'm still saving up to get

a Billy Jonas CD which I've wanted for months after hearing "Coup d'Etat" on Dr. Demento. I could probably download it from somewhere, but I don't want to. I'm also saving to buy the rest of Stephen Jay's &/or

Auk & Zoie CD's, and this years Dr. D's Basement Tapes, but that will take a while



The intellectual property issue is going to keep our legal system busy for

years to come, and they still won't come up with cut & dry answer. Ironically, some folks think our Alfie is guilty of intellectual piracy when he does parodies. Obviously, I do not share that point of view, but it just shows how murky things can be in the intangible realm of creativity in a free market society :choon:



sg

[scottidog]

I have downloaded songs in the past, but after thinking about it, I deleted them from the hard drive.



And I'll also be honest that I do have some copies of Al stuff. I have some of the unreleased stuff, and also a copy of Peter And The Wolf. I didn't go out searching for those things, and I did not download them. They sort of found their way to me. HOWEVER, the difference that I see here (and I may just be grasping at straws to justify it for myself) is that these things are NOT available commercially. If I could buy them, I would buy them. If/when Peter and The Wolf become available commercially, you can bet I will be there, cash in hand. I have made an attempt or two to purchase P&TW on ebay, but as SG said, while it is a legitimate way to purchase something... it doesn't help Al at all. Except perhaps as a morale booster. But it doesn't contribute to his ability to buy Poodle Chow or Broccoli.

[autrefois]

I have some of the unreleased stuff, and also a copy of Peter And The Wolf. I didn't go out searching for those things, and I did not download them. They sort of found their way to me. HOWEVER, the difference that I see here (and I may just be grasping at straws to justify it for myself) is that these things are NOT available commercially. If I could buy them, I would buy them.

I agree 100%. The only music files I have ever downloaded are TV theme songs that I could not find on CD. If it's not available on CD, then I'm not hurting anyone involved with producing it: the artist, etc.



The same with unreleased songs from Weird Al and others. I don't have any unreleased songs myself, but I see nothing wrong with downloading those. Songs that are available legally though should be bought legally.



I see nothing wrong with borrowing a CD from the library to listen to it, but if somebody copied the CD from the library for their personal use, then we would be going back to the same issue.



I'm not saying it's fair that some people can't buy CDs. But it's also not fair to the artist and all the people working for him/her if you don't pay them for their work.

[danthefanman]

but, how is this different than when we recorded songs from the radio off to our cassettes? Is the RIAA going to come into everyone's homes and see if we still have them?

as I see it, it's no different than my making a cassette or CD for a friend that doesn't have what music I have, and them making me a CD/cassette of something I don't have....

Well, I have to agree with you there. It is no different. And both are wrong IMO.

I wonder if you would feel the same way about it if it was your music being traded instead of purchased?

Well I do think that file sharing is right when it's the same as recording of the radio, Al music is different, none of his songs get played, so the only way you can hear them is buying the album. Although i am guilty of having a few Al-songs on my C drive that i don't have tha album for, but I also have 4 albums and listen to them wherever I go, I have like one or two songs that I don't have on the albums.



P.S. Estimated Al has made $70 off of record sales to me. 3 $20 cds and 1 $10 compilation.

[scottidog]

But you will be a good little fan and buy them when you can I assume.