Alpha Centauri
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Originally posted by Darth Revan
How can you say "there's no excuse" when I just stated two reasons for my thinking? "The artist is more important" is a massively subjective statement. I try to support both the artist and local business, but when it comes down to it, the guy who owns my local record shop needs my money more than any multi-millionaire musician.
So buy the CD there then. Buy the single there. Where's the problem?
Why do you assume you have the right to listen to the artists music without paying for it? Go on. I'm seriously curious. If the artist is working to produce something you wish to listen to, you owe it to them to pay for it. Yes, owe. Because they are giving you something and you're not giving back.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
I have no idea where this "It is lack of effort, too. Because you can easily get the CD's you want, you just don't want to." came from, since I actually said that I never download entire albums.
You choose not to buy CDs from certain stores just because you hold a grudge. As long as you're acquiring the music, why does it matter? It seems to me like you're confusing yourself by using music to support little stores, when you should be just supporting the artist making the music. Because without them, your local guy doesn't have a store.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
As I said, I don't know of any stores here that will give full refunds/trades on opened music. Maybe Wal Mart or someplace, but I absolutely refuse to contribute to those places. I simply can't afford to be spending the amount of money a CD is worth every time I sort of want an album.
Then don't get the album if you aren't willing to pay for it. Simple as that really.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
iTunes does not carry Tool, Metallica, The Beatles, or Led Zepplin. Just to give you an idea of some of the major artists whose labels won't let Apple have their music.
They have nearly everyone else. More over, you should have Tool albums anyway. We're talking about getting into new artists, which you can do so for extremely cheaply on iTunes. Not if they carry stuff that you already own.
I've proven that they carry more than enough to compensate.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
As I have said, I have never "not bought" an album. The only reasons I download music are a) to get some feel of a new artist (not analyze them thoroughly as you seem to think I implied) b) to get ahold of a song not availible anywhere else, or c) to get ahold of a song from an album that I don't want to waste fifteen bucks on.
Then spend the 99 cents to get the song off that album. Simple.
If it's some ultra rare B-side that you can only get through spending ridiculous amounts of money on the limited single, then fair enough. These are all more often than not available through official means. All the Muse B-Sides are. Porcupine Tree B-sides etc.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
I do buy off iTunes as well, but iTunes often either does not have certain music, or only has highly edited versions of certain music.
They have more or less every kind of music there is. They don't have every band there is but they have the biggest collection of artists than anywhere else. So these claims are bs.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
What I meant by saying it does little harm to steal one or two songs is that some of these artists are paid millions upon millions of dollars per year. I am more hesitant to download music by local or lesser-known acts, but I sincerely doubt that James Hetfield's already lavish lifestyle actually suffers any when somebody doesn't buy his music.
It's not about "Oh, they don't care because they're already rich." That's exactly what's wrong with people. It's the principle of the matter.
Bill Bowerman is a multi-billionaire owner of Nike. Does that give me the right to steal shoes? No it does not. The fact of the matter is, people put work into these albums and you are stealing it at the touch of a button. It's not about filling their accounts, it's about respect. You owe it to these people. If you have ever enjoyed their music in personal use, you owe them your money.
Originally posted by Darth Revan
"In short, I know of no record shops that give full refunds on listened-to music, and I don't have enough money to be throwing it around right and left at anything I might like.
Then don't consider yourself in a position to listen to it if you're gonna illegally download.
-AC