Is Downloading Music a Crime?
Support Your Artists!
I have often wondered what the big hype is about programs such as Limewire. I am perfectly happy spending ninety-nine cents on my songs. I actually enjoy the fact that they give money to the artists. I mean if I had a job I would want to get paid for it. I would not want other people stealing my work. There are many different reasons people should not get involved with stealing music.
The biggest reason is the fact that you are not supporting the artist by stealing their music. Since Programs such as iTunes came out many artists are loosing money on their cds. Instead of people buying a whole album for one song they now have the option to only download the song they like. If more and more people start stealing music then new artists may not want to come into the music business. If you really love the music you are downloading then maybe you should think about the person whose creation it is.
Another reason is the fact that you do not know the people that you are getting the music from. They could be passing your computer a very nasty virus. I know that if that happened to me I would have wished I were paying for my music. I'd like to think that people are basically good but some can trick you. If you use iTunes you know that it is secure and no one is going to mess your computer up.
Many people who download music illegally like to defend their claim by saying they are "sharing" music. Well by music law a cd can only be copied once. So if you're just sharing one song with one person that is not illegal. However these sites are designed for millions of people to download the same song.
iTunes is just the better way to go. It pays the artists for their time and effort. I absolutely love music, and don't get me wrong I love free things. However I believe that this generation has crossed a line somewhere. We really need to get back to what music is all about, supporting the artist.
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Indescribable Writer is a freelance writer residing in Champaign IL. The topics she most enjoys writing about are mental health articles and lesson plans for children.She has written hundreds of articles and... View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentMUSIC SITES NEED TO BE MORE SECURE AND ANYTHING COPYRIGHTED. I DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO MUSIC. ONLY ON THE RADIO.BUT IS SENTENCING PEOPLE TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FINES THE ANSWER?
MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALENT. NOT EVERYBODY CAN HAVE A COPYRIGHT. ANYBODY CAN INVENT A TOOTHBRUSH. YOU JUST GOT THERE FIRST, AND THEY WERE BORN AFTER YOU AND NOW BUY FROM YOU.MAYBE LESSER FINES ON ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING AND MORE SECURE SITES.
I'm not sure that supporting the artist is what music is all about but I support this idea in general. Nicely said.
i definitely support because of the fact musicians are still making profits of millions of dollars even with people dowwloading their songs.They can still be "supported' in other ways such as mentioned.And as for viruses,they can be avoided with the right downloadin site.For every song to be payed by the listner is just riduculous.
...per person is at over 1000, with the highest ownership among teens -- and I don't think you'll find many teens willing to pay $1000 for their music collection. The way most artists earn the bulk of their money is through live performances, and more importantly, simple fame (and therefore public appearances, endorsements, advertisements, etc.) If you like a band enough you will pay to see them in concert whether you have downloaded their music or not, and as so many more people will listen to a track that is available for free than to one they have to pay for (yes, even 99 cents) it's a great way to promote yourself as a musician, leading to much more exciting prospects. And, if you need proof about the power of internet marketing in leading an artist to a successful career, you need only look as far as those who have successfully manipulated MySpace to earn themselves fame and fortune.
Actually the issue is more to do with copyright laws. The legal definition of theft is "the dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving that person of it", so it is correct to say that downloading does not count as stealing. Another argument that is frequently raised, and indeed in this article, is that you are "not supporting the artist" by taking their music for free. First of all, very little money actually goes to the artist; much more of it goes to the retailer and to the record label, unless that artist is smart enough to have used their own record label, so it's not quite so valiant as you might imagine to pay for your music. This is a moot point, however, as most people who download music would not be willing to pay for that music. That is why they download it. Sure, there are some things that you like enough to buy, but with the technology on offer at the moment for storing music, the average ownership of music tracks pe
" this generation has cross a line somewhere" so true but there no going back not many people are going to pay for something they can get free. Personal i don't download music i rather buy the whole CD because i like discovering hidden gems on the CD, you never know you could like another song better than promo single.