Point of Discussion: The Ethics of Downloading Music

[rayword45]

[Romanelli]

For me.

I have purchased every album in my collection except for those that were given to me as gifts. I don't see this as a hobby that's cheap and free to do. For me (and the way it was for everyone until very, very recently), I have nice stereo equipment that I invested in. I have a music library that I am proud to say that I have built from the ground up.

When I was 15 years old, I knew I wanted to do this. But I also knew it would not be easy, or cheap. So, I got a job. I still lived at home, and I was not expected yet to have income, so whatever I made was mine. I worked hard. I scoped out the equipment I wanted...I don't remember the specifics of what it was, but I picked out very good quality receiver, turntable, tape deck, and speakers. As I worked, I put each item, one at a time, on layaway. Finally...when I had purchased each piece, and had the awesome experience of putting together a great system that I had purchased by myself, with my own money that I had worked for, I went out and bought a brand new copy of Out Of The Blue by Electric Light Orchestra, took it home, and spent an entire weekend inhaling every note and every word. This was not just me listening to an album...this was an EXPERIENCE. So, for me, downloading isn't a question of is it right or wrong because of the artists...it's just not an option because this isn't, for me, just listening to albums. It's the whole experience, and owning that copy is a big part of it. They mean more to me than if I hadn't paid for them.

I tell this story because there is more to this than whether or not it's fair to the artist. I'm an artist...I know that if the music you have out there is of top quality, then it cost a lot of money to make. If people think it's okay to take and claim ownership of this music without paying for it, that's their own thing. My feelings on this lie on the other side of things. Because to me, this isn't just a listening hobby. This is all part of the investment I decided to undertake when I was 15, and it has been a big part of my life ever since. My reasoning for needing a physical product has been questioned here before...it baffles me that I should have to explain that. It also baffles me to hear people talking in the same circles as those who have made this an investment about not buying their music, about not having the pride of having invested in this music, and about people using inferior methods of listening (youtube, cheap players, cheap earbuds, phone speakers, etc.). I don't say this to be insulting...but because I feel a little sad that there are people who are not experiencing this (the way I see it) to the fullest. Downloading music and having a free copy in your iTunes is a lot different than owning a physical copy of an album. Because there's a personal investment that goes with the monetary investment.

So, for me, there's another side of the whole downloading thing. I'm not saying that anyone is wrong. I'm just stating my opinion about it, from the perspective of one who grew up without having being broke and just pulling whatever music I wanted to listen to off of a website as an option to be in this hobby. I had no choice but to buy my music. It's something I wouldn't trade for anything. And it makes me feel sad here sometimes, because at times I feel like I'm in the minority about how I feel about albums.

Am I alone in this? Are there others here who feel the same way I do about this?
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May we all get to heaven
'Fore the devil knows we're dead...

[meccalecca]

[Defago]

I'd rather have the vinyl than a copy of the mp3s any day of the week, definitely. I keep a small collection of physical records with an old turntable and an amplifier and speakers - every once in a while I add or replace parts. There is a special something about analog, and I consider my physical collection my "real" collection. However that is not to say that listening to digital is not a "real" experience for me. Most of my favorite music I have only listened in pirated mp3 files, and there's nothing short of real for what I feel about, say, The Books.

I have about 20 physical records against my around 1500 digital ones - there's no way I'd have listened to this much music if I had to pay for each record. Physical collecting feels, definitely, more like collecting. But digital listening has nothing wrong - it's as much an experience as physical, IMO. Not everyone can afford to have a roomful of records, though, and digital works just fine for me for the time being!

[Silver]

I would add something but Defago just said my exact sentiments so I guess everyone should listen to Defago. Ugh.

[Happymeal]

[Patman360]

[babyBlueSedan]

That's weird, I wrote an ethics paper on piracy too, arguing that it's an ethical practice. Got an A on it so I guess I convinced my stubborn professor, which is saying something.

There is one instance where I buy music, and that's artists I have been listening to for a long time who release a new album. When Arcade Fire released Reflektor, I had been listening to them for about a year but had come to the party after the Suburbs. I had experienced all of their music through streaming. When I went to buy Reflektor, Best Buy only had the deluxe version that cost like 16 dollars (although it was a double album, so maybe that's not all that expensive). I still bought it though. Now if I hadn't heard them through streaming and fell in love, fat chance I would have spent that much money on what turned out to be a decent but not-life-changing album. The way I see it is buying the new album is a thank you for all the enjoyment I got out of streaming their stuff. I know it doesn't add up monetarily, but it's how I justify it. It's better than pirating it at least.

As far as buying physical records and building a collection goes, in theory it really interests me. But in practice, it's just not convenient. It's way too nice to carry around 500 albums on an iPod to listen to in my car and have anything I'd want to listen to right there. I've never really been wowed by physical CDs anyway, so that probably sways my opinion too. Music has become such a hobby that just buying the records I can afford would never be able to satisfy all the listening I want to do. Is this greedy of me? Yes. Do I feel incredibly lucky to have been born into an era where this was possible? Yes. But would I have become such a fan of music had I not had all this music at my fingertips? No, probably not. As others have said, spending money on an album that could be complete crap just doesn't appeal to me, and if I was a music fan in the 60s I probably wouldn't have been more than a casual fan.

Thirdly, I also believe concerts are a great way to support artists. I wouldn't pay 50 dollars for a concert ticket if I couldn't sample their music before hand, especially if I had to pay 10 dollars to hear each album. In the end most artists probably end up on top because of streaming and pirating.
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And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.

[craola]

I feel like I have a lot to say on this subject, but just about everything has been said. I don't have a problem with piracy, but I'm in the camp that prefers to purchase my music. I do listen to stuff via Bandcamp/Spotify/Tidal/Youtube/Soundcloud/etc. before I purchase 99% of the time, but if and when I plan on returning to an album again and again, I like to have a copy. I prefer to have the physical copies of albums (CD or vinyl) with the artwork in hand. I prefer to have something I can touch and smell. Downloads just aren't as intimate, and my computer gets far too cluttered as it is. I'm not terribly organized with my files structuring these days.
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follow me on the bandcamp.

[rayword45]

Obviously nothing compares to listening to a vinyl record, not even FLACs, but that's more of an experience thing. Paying for lossy MP3s is just stupid IMO.

Also, something I find interesting, I've found that most indie artists or moderately successful artists (like Ian Mackaye, Steve Albini and and Death Grips) don't give a damn about piracy (The common mentality being that it's better having people listening to your music for free than nobody listening to your music at all), while those most outspoken against are those who don't need the fucking money and come off as gigantic superstar crybabies, like Eminem, Lars Ulrich, Eminem, and some others I guess.

Obviously, this is not an end-all rule (Trent Reznor comes to mind as an exception for the last part) but it seems to be mostly the case.