arrrrrr

I've been thinking about a touchy subject since reading this article: musical piracy. This is a very prevalent practice that many people engage in, though few would agree on record that they actually steal music.

So here goes: I steal music. Wow big surprise huh? I'm always talking about new music, I'm in college so I have limited funds, connect the dots if you will.

Okay so I guess that makes me a perfect target for prosecution. I've written it down. I'm serious about it. But don't just think of me as an IP address to track down and sue. Hear me out first.

First of all the music industry is bloated. It is dated. It is operating at a less than optimum level. Why? First of all because of the CD. CDs are much more expensive than they should be, and the format is quickly losing popularity. Digital is where it is at right now, and because the music industry does not want to invest in the switch to digital formats, they are besieged by people who would rather simply steal an album than pay at least $10 for a CD that they are going to rip anyways (which is of uncertain legality, so breaking the law may be involved either way).

There are many creative and new ways the music industry could make the switch to digital. While variable pricing options instituted by Radiohead and Girl Talk might not work for every artist and label, other methods are definitely feasible. Artists could utilize downloads by making users watch a few advertisements then offering the download, or by trading downloads for spreading the artist's popularity, such as by emailing info about them to friends. Increased popularity is probably more desirable for small indie bands than a few cents in royalties for music sales anyways. Or do something like Amie Street and price music based on its popularity. When it is unknown, prices are low. If the music is good and people like it, the price slowly rises until a set level.

However I am not advocating the destruction of physical albums. I often enjoy the packaging that comes with albums, such as liner notes, artwork, and bonus material. Also physical formats such as vinyls are often of higher quality than mp3s. So keep these formats, but the music industry simply has to adapt to the digital age or fall due to rampant piracy.

Another possibility for artists is to simply go indie. A little creativity can produce great ways to spread the music and also make money. Artists often do not get much money from album sales. Most of it comes from merchandise sales and from live shows, so capitalize on that by making your music known. I know that I would be delighted if a band challenged me to find a way to make them known.

So what about me? Am I just trying to justify my theft of music? Allow me to clarify myself. Yes, I do download music. However, a few scenarios now arise from here. I may dislike the album, and the music rusts away in my library. I do not upload music onto p2p sites for others, so nothing further happens to the files. I probably would not have bought the album anyways, so in the end no harm is really done. If I like the music I usually blog about it, so in a small way I spread word of artists. I will show friends youtube videos and tell them to listen to tracks on Last.fm, which is legal, so I am still not furthering the spread of piracy. Also I will go to live shows for bands I like and at every single show I have been to I have bought merchandise. This more than offsets the small loss an artist experiences when I find an album online.

Also, if I really enjoy an album, I will go out and buy a physical copy, first to show my support for the artist, and second because I like higher fidelity music that comes packaged with interesting material.

So in the end I really am not causing the destruction of quality music that the RIAA claims I am. I do try to do my part for an artist, however modest my part may be. But also I would not have bought a few hundred albums at $15 each to begin with. I buy albums that I really like, and that is how it should be. I shouldn't have to pay an exorbitant amount for an album that turns out not to my taste.

Another important point: I have yet to see an artist complain about sales due to piracy. Simple logic dictates that if an album is good some people at least will buy it. Some people will download it, but if you are the one offering downloads you can decide how it works. So who IS complaining? The RIAA is complaining, claiming to be working in the interest of artists. The RIAA tells the artists that downloads are evil, and the artists agree since the RIAA is supposed to be working for them. What the RIAA does NOT tell artists is that they have options.

So what has to happen? I like to try looking for a positive approach, so here is my view: the RIAA needs to embrace the digital age and if it is truly working in the interests of artists and labels it should stop thinking about its own profits and start the transition to digital sales. If that does not happen then we really need to ditch the RIAA and encourage the artists to start looking for alternative methods.

Also, go to shows. Most bands are on a whole new level live anyways. Buy a shirt or poster while you're at it, so you can remember how awesome the show was. This is where bands really make their money, with no middleman taking most of the profit. If you are sincerely trying to support a band then I don't think that downloading an album or two is an unfair trade.

Maybe some people don't share my views and steal music simply because they don't want to pay for it, but I feel that this is not the majority. Most of us do it because it is much more simple than buying it. This small distinction creates an opportunity to capitalize from the situation.