I wish that musicians and music industry would stop whining about music piracy?

There are just a few beibers and gagas.

MOST of the musicians, are struggling, just like you and I.

getting started in the music business is expensive, with all the equipment they need to buy.

You have no idea how expensive it is to record professionally sounding music.

Anyone that thinks that all music should be free, should go out, spend thousands on gear, practice for years, play in a band for years, then fight it out with 100, 000 bands for attention for a contract.

YOU spend all the years learning your instrument, you spend all the time and money recording,

and then YOU give it away free.

Bands used to spend about 1/3 of the year touring, and the rest writing and recording.

that meant more, and better music.

Now they are being forced into touring most of the time, just to pay for the recording time.

Many bands can't break even on their recording and sales.

You are also stealing from the writers

the producers

the engineers

the studio

all the people in the studio that helped with the recording process.

any studio musician.

any background singers.

they don't get any of the tour money.

they only get paid from the sales of the music.

Labels have shut down, because they couldn't pay the bills.

studios have shut down because they couldn't pay the bills.

Just because you have a cousin with the wrong attitude, does NOT give you the right to steal.

Music sales have cut in half, so obviously most people that steal music never buy it.

the labels don't have the money to look for new talent, so we get the beibers, etc, whatever they think they can sell.

Don't complain about the quality of music falling, you are bringing it on yourself

Target is a big company.

Do you go in there and steal clothes?

same thing

there are no good reasons for stealing music,

just a lot of bad excuses.

You're trying to justify stealing, because you don't want to pay people for their work.

how would YOU feel if I walked into your house and took your computer,

and all the cops said was "everyone does it"

Back when Metallica was complaining about Napster, I can understand. It was TOO easy, and it was the "cool" thing to do, to go online and download a song, instead of going out and wasting your money on an entire CD for maybe 1 or 2 songs that you like. So I have no problem with them fighting piracy... it should be illegal... but for bands that come out today, newer bands, they should be thanking these guys.... it's probably the main way that there music was heard in the first place. Many people probably wouldn't have bought there album, therefore, never had heard the band, therefore, never had gone to their concerts.

Also, the music industry gets a huge amount of the album sales. It was the fortunate few that would get a majority of money from album sales, in part due to having paid the price, like Metallica who probably didn't get a majority of there first few album sales. After there contract ran out, they probably signed a new one and had leverage to get most of the album sales.

The stupid thing that is going on, is allowing people to purchase only 1 song off iTunes or other online sites. This is why sales are down. People are buying the 1 song they like, and the other songs are not being purchased. So, instead of someone paying $18 for a CD, they pay $1 for the one song they like. DUH!!!!

Now, I'm not saying that this isn't a cool thing. I love being able to purchase 1 song at a time, because most bands do not take the time to make a complete album, and they end up having to put "filler" songs on the album... which is due to the pressures of the record labels.

What they should do, is just start making 3-5 song albums and package them as just that..... you must buy the full album. It's a lot easier to chew if you're gonna spend $3 to $5 on an album, rather than $10 for something you "might" not even like.

THEN, after the initial release, say, after 3 months, change it to be able to download each individual track. The initial release of the album will get hardcore fans to pay the $3-$5 to get the songs now. Then the people who can wait, will eventually buy the songs. If they're going to pirate the songs, they're going to do it no matter what.

Also, a lot of kids don't have access to credit cards or ATM cards, and they're the ones who buy music. I use to save my lunch money to buy a CD. I didn't have an ATM card when I was 16, so I would have to ask my Dad, who didn't want to put his card out over the internet. So, they need to make music more accessable to kids who don't have access to credit cards.

At this time, you release another 3-4 songs in another package. Then allow individual downloads after another 3 months.

Then, release the final 3-4 songs on the album and do the same thing. It keeps a steady stream of music flowing from your band, keeping your name in the minds of your fans, which keeps them coming to your Tours.

THEN, and this is the genius part, you release a 4th album with ALL the previously released tracks packaged together as one. Package them into a DVD with a free sticker, with live concert footage. Also, on the CD, you can even add live tracks and even save a couple extra tracks that were not released on the previous 3 CD's that you put online.

So yeah, they need to stop whining and figure out a different marketing strategy. It's not about money, but to some, it is... because most music today isn't even art.

It is near impossible to totally stop music piracy- unless all the authorities come down real hard on people who download stuffs onto their PCs and stuff. but then again, you stop one site, another one pops up. It will turn into a round-the-bush chase. The only reason it seems that musicians can be really upset by the whole piracy thing is that they wont get as much royalty as they would if everyone who listened to their song bought their original cds. but if you are talking about music appreciation- i dont think support for the musician is compromised at all. even without piracy, i dont really see musicians suffering because of it. in fact, they still are very much better off than us. they live in luxury, etc. i bet that half of the audience in a rock concert download music illegally- not because they dont like the singer or show no support (why else would they spend hundreds for the concert?). and so if i like 100 artistes, do i have to buy 100 cds? sometimes listeners like only particular songs from an artiste, so they dont see the point of buying the entire album. plus at 20 dollars, i would rather get myself a shirt, which i can wear more often than i tune in to that particular artiste's album. it is really near impossible. i cant say i really support the stop piracy thing at times. people do have priorities. why cant musicians and the music companies themselves come up with a different approach to the whole matter? perhaps 20 dollars a month subscription to a website to access to millions of songs out there? that wont be too bad, aint it? I am very sure that musicians want to be supported for their music.

The Music Industry should have been offering CD's and individual songs online as soon as Napster did it. Instead they sued Napster and missed a HUGE gravy train at that time!

Online download sales are just starting to come about last few years when it could have been going on for 15+ if the industry bigwigs were actually smart!

And if you want to sell your music in any form, put out a album with all good songs! 3 good songs on an album of 13 is not good. But now these artists don't care because they sell the 3 songs that are good and make a fortunate(Lady Gaga).

I still buy CD's and I have no problem shelling out anything for a album that is good, I have paid $100 in the past for an out of print album I liked.

The musicians that whine about piracy are also the musicians that whine about their music being bootlegged. Bands should be like the Grateful Dead. They allowed a place for people to record the concerts. GD management puts up free music downloads at websites all across the web to stream or download.

Yes but there are a lot of people out there who download things for free and keep them. They never pay.

If you're going to pay for it or delete it again then fine, but why not just listen to it online to know whether you like it first?

The money probably isn't the reason why artists complain - it's the principle of the thing. How would you feel if you'd worked for ages on a song, tried so hard to get it perfect, poured your heart and soul into it and then have people treat it like it's worthless?

I hate people who download things for free and never pay. How is it fair on the rest of us who pay for what we take? If these people are not doing anything wrong, then everyone has the right to not pay. Bands, especially indie ones, would all go bankrupt.

Just my two cents.

Your cousin is stupid. Music should be about music, not money. If you want to make money, dress like Justin Bieber. Besides, most artists make most of their money doing live tours and it's always been that way

Yes, I agree and also ... why should I have to pay for a car? Why do I have to pay the restaurant money when I go out to eat? Why can't gas be free? Why do I have to pay for the shoes I wear? Why do I have to sleep for 8 hours a day .... why can't I live forever. I never could figure out why everybody expects to be paid for everything. Why can't I get paid and everyone can do everything for me for nothing and I can keep my money.

Yes. Music is for the audience, not the artist.