Welcome to Gaia! ::

As the title suggests, this is a topic to discuss the nature of 'illegally' downloading music online.

Be it through blogs, torrents, or p2p programs like Limewire and Soulseek, the downloading of music has become a regular part of the modern world. But the question remains; is it really right?

My stand:

I say yes. I say it's right and I personally go after anybody who says otherwise. Why do I think it's justified? Easy; because music is artistic expression, and artistic expression isn't something that a person should have to pay for in order to enjoy. You wouldn't pay to see the Mona Lisa, would you?

Well okay, maybe you would by a technicality, but it's an unnecessary expense, because the money most certainly goes to the gallery to maintain the building, pay the bills, and compensate the other employees. But these buildings aren't really needed. A person could just as easily host a painting in a public exhibition setting so everybody could enjoy it, cost or no.

The same is true for record labels. They're dying, and about time I say. They're unnecessary, just like art galleries. We live in a world where people can make high-quality recordings with their own technology, and with something as simple even as a computer. In the case of the band Cloudkicker, the main man behind the band was quoted as saying this:



And if you clicked the link before you read this, you'd know that the quality of the recording is quite good. The same applies for many of today's bands; why isn't there more of a DIY mentality? Why must bands rely on record labels and expensive, grandiose studios to record their material when they could do their own thing at home?

The only reason downloading has been demonized is because people don't understand the facts behind it. On average, an artist gets about $1-$2 per CD they sell, if they go through a store or a label. Why is that amount so miniscule? Well that's easy, the money goes towards the label execs, the store from whom you bought the recording (if you bought it at a store of course), the managers etc. Then whatever's left goes to the band, if they get anything at all. Bands get the majority of their money at gigs, so if you're going to buy something, it should be there.

That being said, I personally don't give a damn about the record labels. About the only thing they're good for is distribution of the recordings, but many bands that release their own material offer it on sites like eBay, Amazon, CDBaby, and even on their own websites. In many cases, then, the music is not only less expensive but more money is going to the artist to fund their music. So let the labels die, I say.

Of course, it doesn't go without saying that I purchase music at my own pace as well. But the key phrase here is 'at my own pace.' When I want to listen to music, I'll listen to music. If I like it (which, generally, I do after I've listened a few times) I buy it if it's available. But I'm no millionaire and can't just buy massive quantities of CDs whenever I want. I have to pick and choose each week what albums I want to get, and keep it at that. That being said, however, I have about 750 CDs in my collection, a collection that's slowly growing.

And now, what's your stand on 'illegal' downloading?

Three words: full time job.

Not if they work a 9-5, or an 8-4, or even a 7-3. Then they've got the whole afternoon/evening to themselves. That's plenty of time to write and record music, which is supposed to be a product of inspiration, not filler for the sake of getting an album out as quickly as possible.

And ultimately, what really matters is the type if job a person decides to take up. There are so many different types of jobs out there, from owning a business to working at home.

It's unfortunate that jobs are suffering in this economy though. D=