To Download or NOT To Download?

My ears are constantly bombarded with people freely stating, “I don’t buy CDs, but I’ll download it”, or my favorite “ I haven’t bought a CD since 19 BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”! So ask yourself this question: How would you feel if someone broke into your house, borrowed a pair of shoes, wore them for a while, let some friends borrow them, and then returned them when they were of no longer good use to them? That’s what you just did to these artists, musicians, entertainers, label executives, and not to mention their families. Sure we think they have lots of money, I don’t need to buy their CD. WRONG!!! Artists especially!

People don’t realize, in the music business the artist is the last to get paid. After they pay back recording time which can be a few thousand dollars per session, paying all the producers, videos, engineers, and etc; if the artist does not go at least multi-platinum or go on a tour, they aren’t going to have much for themselves. So ask yourself, how hard is it to go “multi-platinum” when everyone is downloading your work? The hard work, efforts, countless late nights, to put together a body of work to represent you is given away shamelessly for free.

Additionally, by downloading free music, you’re also ruining potential business for the up and coming artists. If record labels are so strapped for cash it becomes difficult for them to invest in new artists that may not necessarily give them as much money but is still an artist that needs to be heard. Everyone complains as to why is it all we hear is “bubble gum” music? If people are constantly downloading music for free, which is taking money from the labels and artists, how can a record label afford to back an artist with true talent if they can’t fund them? “Bubble gum” music, being that majorities are funding it, whether it is with CD purchases, downloads, or ringtones, is keeping the music business afloat for now.

File sharing services such as Limewire, have done irreparable damage to an industry we all need. Hundreds of millions and possibly even billions of dollars have been taken out of the hands and wallets of thousands of people. All injustices such as this one are just another way that people in the world set themselves back in life for a mere convenience. So next time before you press, “DOWNLOAD NOW”, think about it.

Source: CNET

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