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Just how bad is downloading music?
Is downloading music bad?
Well, in the sense that it’s illegal, yeah, it’s “bad.” In preceding years, you could get fined or thrown in jail for trading some 1s and 0s across computers. Now you can get your Internet privileges revoked. Which, depending on who you are, could be just as bad as the aforementioned fine-and-jail procedure.
But, like so many other college students (hell, like so many people of all ages), I can’t help but feel that downloading music is actually what the industry is all about (in most cases). Musicians – real musicians, which, these days, are a bit scarcer than I like to see – make music to make music. They want other people to hear their creation, much like a writer wants others to read his/her newest short story or novel. And downloading music is immediate – musicians can get immediate feedback in this Internet age.
Now, I’m not confessing anything at all. This article is purely hypothetical. Of course I want to support my favorite bands and artists. But, if I was to lack the necessary funds, aren’t I supporting my favorite bands and artists just by listening to them? If I like them, I pass the word to others, who listen and like them. And then…we all go to the band’s concert. Yes, concerts can also be bootlegged and downloaded, but that completely destroys the importance of live shows. You go to live shows for the feeling of being with hundreds of other people who love the same thing you do. These live shows are great fun for you and for the band (well, most of the time).
Here’s the kicker: bands make a majority of their profits from playing concerts. Major labels give artists a tiny fraction of what an album sells for. By playing a show, a band gets far more money. By not purchasing CDs, we’re killing the record companies. We’re not killing the artist. The artist will continue to make music even if the record label goes under. It’s what an artist does, and if the music is good enough, it’ll find its way to the public through one route or another. Bands can record music straight to their computer; sure, the quality might suffer (a lot), but, if enough people get excited about these songs, the demand for a concert will boom; the band will play a show, getting money, and that money can be used to help record a better-quality album in a real studio.
Simplified? Yes, I admit that there are other factors, such as being signed to a label and actually getting the music distributed. But many artists have dug deep into their own pockets to release material. It can be done. The major labels don’t want us to think that it can. They’re easy to prove wrong. Why do you think so many artists are leaving major labels or releasing material online, ala Radiohead and Trent Reznor?
My argument falters a bit when it comes to monetary matters. If a band makes music for a living, they want to be reimbursed. Makes sense. But, if we look at another artist, the WRITER, we can see a big difference. Very few authors just write; most have a second job to help themselves along. But they’re still doing what they love, and getting their stuff published. What part of being a musician excepts them from realities of the world? Working a normal job isn’t the rock-‘n-roll lifestyle, sure. But if they want to continue making music, maybe they should help themselves out. When they complain about not getting enough money through album sales, it makes me question their integrity. Too many bands make a big deal out of it. No one is making them not have a second job. You want to tour with the band? Fine, just take a two week vacation from your job at the local record store. Do what you love with one half of your life and make money via the other half if you’re not making enough doing what you love. It’s logical. Whining does nothing.
Recap: Bands make money via concerts, which are, of course, un-downloadable if you want the real concert effect. Major labels suck and are falling in on themselves from their own greed. CDs aren’t selling because music fans love music so much and want it immediately. Computers allow this. Downloading music does not hurt the band, only the companies. Musicians should do what they love and do it because they love it, not because of the money.
P.S. – RIAA, stop contributing to the fear and fallacy of music downloading. You’re now thought of more poorly than George W. Bush (I made that up); do you really want that legacy?