I agree with you too that price is the main issue for people downloading. I've recently been earning more money and hence been buying more music but I'll still download music to use it as a sample so I know what I want to buy.

how about this compramise

RIAA or someone else makes a site where u can download small bits of a song (for free), that way you are promoting the song, ppl can decide if they like it, if they do they go out and buy the album

I share the sentiment but not cause they want to crack down on stealing music. Mostly I am pissed cause I think they have double standards for internet broadcasters as opposed to regular broadcasters and have been very unhelpful in setting fees, etc.

I also don't like their draconian methods - though I do think understand the POV of artists and even the record companies who can't stay in business if they keep losing money.

there is a difference between "not making enough profit compared with previous year" and "having negative profit".

as far as I know, the big labels are "not making enough profit compared with previous year".

also, they spend a lot of money on marketing and advertising. I understand they are important but I am not gonna buy that crappy album from some guy or girl straight out of the factory line just because I see the ads everywhere, hear the song everywhere.

well....business people sucks............


I just dont give a shit about what they did becase they really sucks

I think that alot of the ill feeling has to do with the fact that we know where the majority of the money goes. The musician gets a pathetic amount of money considering the importance of his/her role. As a musician myself (beleive me, it's full time as well) i have no issue with people hearing my music without paying for it. What I do have a major issue with is people shoveling money into the pockets of people that a) generally know far more about marketing than they do music, and b) are only going to use that money to produce and promote music that has nothing going for it apart from the fact that the portion of the population that has been told that it's good will buy it, if anyone can tell me of a tune that's been in the top 40 recently (in the uk at least) that would deserve being called a classic, I'll eat my hat. I've got other ways to earn money, both from teaching and performance, and I get by.
Peace.

Well what i usually do is start downloading music and when i find about 4 or 5 good songs from a band I consider buying an album, so when i flip the cd case over and have a look at whats on it, i can say ooh i like that song , and that one, therefore id buy it hoping that the trend of good songs follows in that album. But really Itunes is the way now, shame its only in the US and didnt require broadband id get it but for now i continue to steal music, I cant really afford to buy music, if there was an alternate to buying CDs that would solve the problem but until then ill steal, its the record companies fault blame them not us.

Now lets see....no, artists make jack off cd sales, they make most their money off touring live..hmmmm

oh I recently read an article about how the music industry doesn't really try hard to keep in touch with their artists in the hope that no address/phone # = no royalities.

what a bunch of dick heads!

Rev, can you name a couple of your songs? I want to check something out...