'Do you pay to download music?' Poll discussion

inicholson

I rarely download - I only use MP3 files on my MP3 player (in the past I played them in the car too but the new car only plays CD's) I use CDs in the house 'co they sound much better (and very occasionally I dig out my vinyl and play that!).

Actually, I don't think I've ever downloaded an MP3 file from the web unless it was free or very cheap (such as when Amazon accidentally made a few albums 49p - I lost these when my hard rive failed and Amazon let me re-download them for free!!). If you could download a lossless format I might change to that instead of buying CDs.

I guess I'm not that legal because if I own a CD I consider it my right to copy it so I don't have to leave the original in the car, or rip it to MP3 format to listen to as I walk to work. I did this in the 80s with tapes (hardly ever bought a tape 'cos they were horrible) and don't really care whether it's legal or not, it's just reasonable use of something I've paid for.

I am considering putting all my CDs on a network server (as FLAC format or similar lossless) so I can play them by streaming them to my hi-fi. If it's illegal to copy my own CDs or rip them to my MP3 player then I guess this is illegal too - do I care? No!

I very, very rarely download MP3 files illegally off the web. This I know is illegal. I do it much the same way as in the 80s we made each other mix tapes or copied albums. They were interesting and handy for the Walkman. If I liked the music I bought it and ditched the tape. These days fewer of my friends share my taste in music or are geeky enough to want to do this so to a (very) limited extent I use Limewire for this. The fact that i know it's illegal means I do it very little. The end result? I don't hear as much new music as I'd like to so buy fewer CDs.

I guess the ideal would be some kind of free format that self-deleted after a week or 2 so I could listen to track on the MP3 player (or in the car if I get that sorted) and buy the ones I liked (on CD or as a lossless download).

jamespir

i always buy through itunes and nokia music i do download the odd album on the sly but jsut so i can try it out first before buying it

Revenge_of_the_Red_Devil

All the big music companies upload their songs to youtube. It takes about five seconds to download the .flv file from there, then convert to .mp3 with the tons of free converters out there.

where's the illegality in that if they uploaded the videos fully aware anyone with half a brain can download and convert it?

grpics

What is the point in downloading music, illegally or otherwise, when good music stopped being made about 20 years ago.
I don't really want to listen to Simon Cowells choice of pop pap and screeching wannabe "diva's"! :eek:

jamespir

grpics wrote: »

What is the point in downloading music, illegally or otherwise, when good music stopped being made about 20 years ago.
I don't really want to listen to Simon Cowells choice of pop pap and screeching wannabe "diva's"! :eek:

lol not true there some amazing music out there and its not all pap and screeching divas

esuhl

n_hatton wrote: »

A portion of all blank CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-Rs cost goes directly to the PRS, who then pay all composers, artists, labels etc.

This certainly doesn't happen in the UK, unless something has changed recently.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/02/20/uk_rejects_cdr_tax/

chaddy7604 wrote: »

There you go Amazon UK ranging from £24 to £200

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0007LNHUM/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1260314491&sr=8-2&condition=all

Thanks. I had seen this, but ~£25 for a secondhand CD is a LOT! Fortunately I found Mindawn, which has the album in FLAC format for US$8.99 (or $6.99 for an Ogg Vorbis version).

Revenge_of_the_Red_Devil wrote: »

where's the illegality in {downloading music from YouTube} if they uploaded the videos fully aware anyone with half a brain can download and convert it?

Where is the "illegality" is in shoplifting if people stock their shops full of stuff that anyone with half a brain can steal?

esuhl

grpics wrote: »

I don't really want to listen to Simon Cowells choice of pop pap and screeching wannabe "diva's"!

There's plenty of good music around - it's just that those in the pop business (like Cowell) are *only* interested in money. They have a good understanding of the psychology of the sort of people who like pop, and have realised that to pop music listeners, the music isn't really important.

What *is* important is being part of a shared experience (talking about a performer with friends, for example), the representation of their values (hasn't X worked so hard, hasn't he overcome criticism, hasn't he "been true to himself") and a soap-opera like fascination with their personal lives.

Not only that, but if the performer can't sing well and struggles on-stage... they can think "Hey, I could do that. Those performers are real people just like me." The music isn't important - it's all about the person behind it.

Mum_of_3_3

esuhl wrote: »

Talking of which... I don't suppose anyone would know where I can get a CD of "Trample the Eagle and the Dragon and the Bear" by Alpha and Omega?

Apparently it was released in 2005, but has already gone out of production. I suppose that's the one advantage of electronically distributed media - no huge production fees to keep pressing discs :-(

Someone's got it on eBay for £14.99 :j

M_o_3

Mum_of_3_3

inicholson wrote: »

I rarely download - I only use MP3 files on my MP3 player (in the past I played them in the car too but the new car only plays CD's) I use CDs in the house 'co they sound much better (and very occasionally I dig out my vinyl and play that!).

I guess the ideal would be some kind of free format that self-deleted after a week or 2 so I could listen to track on the MP3 player (or in the car if I get that sorted) and buy the ones I liked (on CD or as a lossless download).

I'm a legal downloader all the way, most of the stuff I download through iTunes and is by relatively unheard of bands. The more mainstream stuff I buy on CD when it's cheap online.

Inicholson I think your idea is great! I'd love that type of arrangement as it is really hard to get new music when you're on a budget for fear of paying out for something that turns out to be a pile of rubbish. I would buy far more music if I could try before I buy.

As for the MP3 player in the car why not use an iTrip? We use one all the time when driving long distances as it saves having to take loads of CDs with you.

M_o_3

JasonLVC

I was under the impression that it was NOT illegal to rip/copy a CD that you own into different formats (onto a PC/MP3 player/Copy for your car, etc). I thought it only became infringement of copyright when you try to exploit the content commercially (ie, sell it) :-

Acts that may be criminal offences in the UK include:

• Making copies for the purpose of selling or hiring them to others
• Importing infringing copies (except for personal use)
• Offering for sale or hire, publicly displaying or otherwise distributing infringing copies in the course of a business
• Distributing a large enough number of copies to have a noticeable effect on the business of the copyright owner
• Making or possessing equipment for the purposes of making infringing copies in the course of a business
• Publicly performing a work in knowledge that the performance is unauthorised
• Communicating copies or infringing the right to "make available" copies to the public (either in the course of a business, or to an extent that has a noticeable effect on the business of the copyright owner)
• Manufacturing commercially, importing for non-personal use, possessing in the course of a business, or distributing to an extent that has a noticeable effect on the business of the copyright holder, a device primarily designed for circumventing a technological copyright protection measure.

So rip away your music collection but if you do a mix [STRIKE]tape[/STRIKE] CD for a mate using your music collection then that is when the copyright has been infringed as your mate hasn't paid for that music and you've just distributed it to him (see point 3 above).

Whether or not anyone will know is of course, a different matter.;)