i’ve got to write a paper for uni about audience and consumption. thought it would be interesting to do it on music consumed via the internet, via youtube, soulseek, bit torrent blah, to coincide with the radical file sharing debate that has suddenly appeared in the media of late (the uk media that is). would really like to hear peoples views.
cheers
ned.
Perhaps if you asked some specific questions, it would be easier for us to provide a few thoughts.
Are you interested in the moral issues of downloading music illegally? How it affects the labels? The fairness of criminal sentences given to people who get caught? What sort of effect its had on indie producers or labels who are doing their own thing? The major artists such as Radiohead and Trent Reznor who have experimented with free or pay-what-you-think-is-fair methods of distribution? Etc.
Help us help you 
good to have your interest!
all of those things. sorry its a broad question, but its a broad argument.
That’s true, but, with all due respect, if you want this to turn into a useful discussion with meaningful responses, I really think you should provide something here to get the ball rolling. Otherwise this is feeling a bit one-sided at the moment, like you are expecting us to just use our personal time to provide you with content for your paper. I’m sure that is not your intention, since that would be quite rude, so if you could just write a more useful introductory post, that would be really great. Give some of your own thoughts on these matters, and ask us some questions to get answers about specific things. It doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed, as I’m sure you’re still trying to think of the best way to approach this yourself, but you must have some idea of what you’d like to explore here?
Sound good?
The most thought provoking idea about this topic that i have read recently (i think it was in micro mart but it may have been future music or coputer music)
People used to fight to control the means of production. This fight (with music) has shifted to controlling the means of distibution.
if I can’t find it for free, I will buy it.
If i find it for free, and I really like it, if it is available to buy a hard copy, I will probably buy it.
some things I want hard copies of even if I don’t open them.
I have some vinyl I haven’t even listened to just because I either don’t want to open or I’m too lazy to take all the stuff piled on top of the turntable case.
Right now I am listening to an album that was deceptively hard to find for free or purchase. It was easier to purchase, and I enjoy it a lot, but I can’t find a hard copy.
in the future, we will be able to stand in the shower or really anywhere and tell google or a successor to play us whatever we want, whenever we want based on any criteria we wish to provide.
So when you think about people getting sued for millions of dollars over things like this, its a humanitarian issue.
When did that change happen according to the article? Last decade? Since the 60’s?
This counts for me as well… if i really like the artist, i usually buy a hardcopy of the album. I never pay for mp3 downloads simply because i do not desire to pay for a lossy format. If the music of the artist(s) that i like would be offered in FLAC, i would consider that alternative.
People downloading their favorite music for free because it’s so easy and there’s always the money issue and “big record companies stealing the money”, Spotify allowing you to listen to your favorite music for free, Nokia’s Comes With Music business plan giving you a vast amount of free downloads from your favorite artists… Digital distribution is sweet, but probably not the best way to earn your living. And concrete album sales are down and going deeper underground. Pursuing a music artist career used to be pretty safe with good music and good starting points, but I can’t see it that way anymore. Big record labels are pretty much screwed anyways unless they truly change their business plans, for their place in the circle of music business has changed and will continue doing so in the near future.
DC++, Napster, KaZaA, SoulSeek… yeah, I’ve been there doing this and that but a few years ago I decided to do the “right” thing and stop getting my music for free, unless it was legitimate. Well, nowadays I use Spotify almost daily and it’s more than enough for me. And I’m considering getting the premium account, because I like music and I think spending 9€ a month into something I have a huge crush on isn’t that much.
So what exactly is file sharing and all those illegal downloads doing to the music biz? I think it’s what scares the shit outta record labels, results in horrid copy controlled items and creates all sort of unwanted friction between the basic consumer and music provider. Paying 20€ for a CD is indeed too much nowadays when comparing to digital distribution, but that’s the thing: people tend to download music illegally because it costs too much in the shop? Just go and buy your favorite tune for 90cents at iTunes or such and have some respect towards the industry. Or if money is the issue, move to a country where you can enjoy the greatness of Spotify or Comes With Music.
And vinyl sales actually went up last year… and are still going up!
And spotify doesn’t work in my country. 
Few weeks ago I tried to get some movies legally from internet. Unfortunately I am linux user so it was totally impossible. Everything is DRM restricted and works only in windows or is not available in my country. So I gave up and downloaded my movies from TPB.
I have thought about movie/album rating system. Where user can download free music and later rate it. But the rating is based on $ if you really like the album/movie, you pay $10 if you don’t like it at all you give it $1 for example. Dunno if that would work in reality though.
A bit off-topic, but…
Yes, but folks don’t check if the recording techniques inquired methods to make the digital sound really warmer and if analogue:if the audio was recorded analogue as well…
There are folks that buy vinyl because it looks hip and it is known as a rare item.
I’ld rather listen to an old jukebox having 78rpm vinyl with the real authentic recorded analogue audio than today’s vinyl record:all have been recorded digitally so there is no dynamic analogue noise that gives this true authentic crisp to the output.
All in all, i don’t think folks buy vinyl because they really like having the music on vinyl but they like the artist and the fact that the artist offers something in a vintage outfit.
I use spotify regularly, but although i hate the adverts, not enough to consider going premium.
I recently bought my first downloads through it too, off 7digital. 
It’s quite a nice feeling paying money for it as opposed to downloading. Like giving money to charity, or tipping a waiter.
Further offtopic, but…
I hear ya, but don’t forget an actual practical use of vinyl: DJ’ing. But I’m having the same thoughts… a lot of people buy vinyl for a nostalgic or ‘image’ reason, rather than music appreciation. However, pure marketing techy-wise, this is an opportunity for the industry. In the end, money’s what matters, not the listeners. We can get aids for all they care, afterall… that’s why we had to pay 20 euros for a plastic disc with 2 good tracks and 8 fillers. And worst of all is: we fell for it.
If you ask here I think more people than in general will think you should pay something for music you like because people here create music.
However if you ask people who don’t create music, you will find much more people who don’t think its worth to respect the musician.
My opinion is this:
Recordlabels. Sure they have too high price and could be blamed for people downloading. Its a bit of wanting too much and you loose it all.
However if you listen to something and you really enjoy it you should pay something
for it if that’s what the person wants, since its the best way one can be sure the person will be rewarded and will be able to continue doing it.
If the person wants too much money for it you are always free to not use it/listen to it.
Morally I do however think its more important to pay for music from small artists then from mega artists like madonna. Since madonna has made more than enough money to never have to work again.
‘illegal’ downloading DOES NOT exist.
its what big corp wants you to think.
mlon
I did also have a huge library of music grabbed from the net in the past. Meanwhile i’ve changed my habits quite a bit. I had so much music i didn’t really listen to, that i’ve deleted everything and started from scratch. Currently all my music is bought, either ripped from own CDs or bought as MP3 download. Some of the songs are from various Netlabels too, which are free to get anyway.
If i spot a new album from an artist, which might interest me i’ll usually get a precopy from the net and give it a listen for 2 or 3 times. If i’ll notice, that i’ll probably listen to the release much more and that i’m really liking what i hear i’ll go and buy either a CD or a MP3 download. Otherwise i’ll delete it and i’m done with it.
Since i’m only listening to music from small labels or independent artists i think, that they deserve a compensation for their work to continue bringing out great music, which i might like again. CD pressings, mastering jobs or music software isn’t really cheap nowadays and without further support i guess that especially the small and indie projects will suffer and die over time.
great to see so many responses.
as it stands right now i am still formulating my argument. my research has to be qualitative rather than quantitative. i have been following various blogs on the topic since lily allen posted hers some weeks ago. its amazing what people in bands will say when they get there back up, without really considering what they are saying.
i think many of the demographics for the argument are formulated all wrong. a friend of mine on facebook put in her status…“illegal file sharing. right on wrong?”
this from the out set i thought was the wrong way to tackle the debate. of course its wrong, its illegal and we’ve established that copyright infringement is illegal and thus wrong. good or bad would have been a better choice of words i feel.
many artists who are having hissy fits about all this in the media are tackling downloaders as criminals withouth considering, (at the risk of sounding massively pretentious on my part) that art as a commodity is more of a crime and surely the real moral issues lie in the ethics of intellectual property.
these are just a few ideas i have at the moment. like i say, i’m in the middle of the whole thing. i’ll be the first to admit that i download music for free using p2p and bit torrent and most probably illegally in the process. i also buy a lot of music too. a lot. i think the media and eventually the law are tackling this all wrong. more to the point, i’m interested and also deeply infuriated at how artists in the industry seem to consider by default the effects it has on money and the bussiness rather than art, society, culture and progression in technology.
further i might add, that i have yet to find actual proof of the real effects its having. which i intend to find.
WORD WORD WORD
mattieboks!
I’ve stopped downloading becasue I’ve got an alternative now, which is spotify.
It’s not that I think that spotify is the best ever…it’s not because alot is missing at Spotify as well.
But it gives an alternative to downloading for my primary reason for downloading in the first place.
That is, finding music that I like.
I don’t listen to radio because it’s simply pure shite, if you’re not into the latest Madonna tune, or the idol 2003 winner’s new album 
Another reason is the localization of an “old” tune that simply is not available anymore.
Got maybe 10 or so .mp3’s where the single or album is out-of-print.
All these out-of-print tunes should be available on the net, no new printing needed…“goldmine” anyone ?
If these 10 tunes were available in a lossless format without DRM-crap then I would have bought them.
But they are not, not even as .mp3’s…so go figure the “solution”.
BTW, just found a “new” group on spotify that I liked, already ordered two albums from them.