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An Obsessed Listener’s (New) Views on File Sharing
With the general outcry, outrage, and eventually…the all-too-glorious failure of SOPA/PIPA, I have been considering the different opinions that I was made aware of and how our actions really do affect a great deal of people.
Now, I’d like to say right off the bat that I hated that bill and was joyous when it crumbled.
Being a very active music listener, I hold records and bands that I love very close to my heart and attempt to spread the word and give credit and support where they’re do. I have downloaded, most likely, hundreds of albums through illegal channels. It was a fantastic resource to dip into albums and dabble with their sounds before making a final judgement. Often enough, when I liked a band beyond those first few listens, I saw them live or supported them in other ways.
Having studied music industry for some time…I had learned and assumed that, in most cases, bands weren’t making money off of albums and needed to find other channels. But I’m starting to realize that the problem isn’t with the band’s methods…but with fans.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. To illegally download music files is inherently different from pirating films in that the files you’re getting are the intended quality. And it’s not the same as “sharing” in that you’re posting it for all to have. That’s stealing in any sense.
So. If albums today are getting cheaper (especially when you can choose your preferred medium), it is a little hard to justify paying for, say, a movie ticket or other quick experience than for albums from bands that you respect and love.
Music is a big part of our lives (whether we admit it to ourselves or not) and to not support artists in the ways that they’re trying to present themselves…it’s not necessarily them not being able to keep up, but people not respecting or appreciating. It shouldn’t be their job to keep up with other people’s theft no matter how technical it is, or even to put up with people who are so self-entitled that they feel that they’re above supporting artists that they love.
I guess when I think about bands I like…I’d like to at least know that someone appreciates it. For example: The Olivia Tremor Control. I’m friends with one of the guys on Facebook…and according to him, ONE illegal downloading site recorded over 10k downloads of just one of their albums. From ONE site. He also went on to note that many of them still work day jobs, have kids, and could have used the revenue.
It may not seem like a lot…but these bands are trying to make a living off of sharing their beautiful creations with the people around them, and to throw it back into their faces like that and demand so much more from them is just rude.
I support free speech, sources like Youtube, and other places for people to find information easily. But don’t defend something like illegal file sharing.
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