Honest opinions and no b.s please.

Do you all think that Downloading Music and DVD Movies should be illegal? Why? And dont say "its just stealing" add more to it.

I dont think more should be said than: "It's stealing." Downloading music from a website or a server that didn't have authorization or copyright of material it distributes is just as much "receiving stolen goods" as buying a flatscreen tv from the crackhead on the corner; a TV you know is stolen.

I sometimes hear persons justify the downloading of unauthorized materials by saying that the artist themselves are only making a small amount compared to the record companies. But that argument is flawed in many ways. Those underpaid artist -- and I agree that they should get more -- depend on how many units leave the stockpile and find themselves legitimately in the homes of families. By downloading material and/or providing for others the opportunity to do the same, you're depriving that artist that is making too little from the record companies.

Creative genius is not to be thwarted by underserving, selfishness. The pirating of any material should be illegal. How would you feel, if you wished to write a book of poetry. Poetry was your life. You wrote everyday of your life hoping that one day you'll be able to make what you love make you money. One day you're break comes along; but you dont make the money you deserve. Because even though you're poetry is on every street corner, and everybody knows your name, your sales (therefore your pockets) look much lighter than they should in the circumstances. That's the reality of pirating.

It should not be condoned. And anyone who says it should be, has missed the fundamental point of being in the production business. Missed the point of why so many deprived individuals leave a lifetime of hope in the hands of a record company.

WUNZUNO
THE TRUTH

Back in the day nobody cared if you taped your records or cd because the final product was reduced quality. Now you can reproduce at origional quality, for cds.

For DVDs, I don't know that much about. I saw a pirated copy of the new Star Wars, and the quality is way reduced. I don't know if you can download DVD at origional quality or not.

The way I feel is that people should be able to copy as long as it is a reduced quality recording, like the old days, but you shouldn't be able to download at full quality.

Keep in mind tho, that despite popular oppinion, downloading hurts the LABEL, NOT THE ARTIST!!!! Don't let them fool you into feeling sorry for your favorite groups, because your really stealing from MECHANICAL ROYALTIES, which the artist wont see ANYWAY, because they wont ever pay off their advances. If the artist start do do well and looks like they're going to recoup, the label "advances" more money. VERY FEW ARTISTS RECOUP THEIR ADVANCES.

Downloading is total chaos for the mainstream artists. I mean, I know people who haven't ever stepped inside a CD store, yet they have a library of music more extensive than mine.

But Downloading is very good for spreading underground rappers' names. Also, it helps really unknown emcees like audio heads on this site and other sites get known.



Overall, it does more harm than good.

Im stuck on the issue because there are two ways one can look at this, and I fit into both

As a fan of music. I would answer No. Downloading ought to be allowed. Artists are entertainers. Their sole purpose is to get their music out. If someone is able to listen out an artist through the medium of downloading, they ought not complain. Secondly, an artist has plenty of other ways to make money, primarily through touring and doing shows which brings in the greatest gross anyhow. One's CD ought to act as a means of shouting out your name. Its the other things that will bring you in money. Plus as a fan, if I download someone and feel them a LOT, I will go out and buy that album anyhow.

It comes down to the person's own etiquette



However, as an artist myself this is where I am at a cross road. I dont do this for money. I wuold be delighted by the fact that someone out there is taking the effort to obtain my music, by whatever means and wanting to listen to my stuff. But something I guess would make me feel uneasy if there are ready available websites and someone can go and just d/l all my stuff at the touch of a button. In the future I will have my own artist website and all, and I will make available all my songs to be streamed, but not d/l.






here is a couple of questions to dwell on though

As an artist, would you get mad the same way if someone stole your album from a store ?

What if your an independent artist and there are no means to get your music distrubuted to a certain place, so the only way for people to get your music is to download it ?

Obviously the politics are different when it comes to mainstream and underground

It might benefit the mainstream ones, but what about the underground, it might cripple them

Should it be the artists choice or this be a universality for everyone
Who has the final say ?

Why is some corporate faggot gonna take away that freedom when there are plenty of artists who dont mind

But Downloading is very good for spreading underground rappers' names. Also, it helps really unknown emcees like audio heads on this site and other sites get known.

I aggree, If I never downloading a Non PhiXioN song, I never would have bough the album.

i don't think its bad at all. It's like preview of the album if you download it. If you are real true fan and you have albums of your favorite artists or your favorite movies you are still going out to buy the album or the movie. Now when it comes to the mediastreaming artists and them complaining they aren't going to make money because their albums are being downloaded is just complete sack of shit. Since when did they have to have 10 cars and 5 different houses and everything else. No wonder they need all the money they can get.

As an artist, would you get mad the same way if someone stole your album from a store ? ///// NO!!!! over 90% of artists don't see mechanical royalties, so it doesn't matter to the artist if it's stolen from the store.

What if your an independent artist and there are no means to get your music distrubuted to a certain place, so the only way for people to get your music is to download it ? ///// An artist should never distribute beyond what they have to promote... In other words, National distribution does you no good unless you have money for national promotion. NOBODY goes into a record store and picks up some cd they never heard of and buys it based on looks alone, people know what they're gonna buy before they get there. Your region of distribution needs to match the region you have money to promote in. Beyond that region is open territory, and the people involved should agree on a strategy.

Obviously the politics are different when it comes to mainstream and underground
It might benefit the mainstream ones, but what about the underground, it might cripple them /////I think I explained this already.

Should it be the artists choice or this be a universality for everyone
Who has the final say ? /////It's actually the choice of whoever owns the copyrights, which may or may not be the artist. It may be the producer. It may be the executive producer, usually it's more than one person. Producers, songwriters, artists, moneymen, someone who hooked up a deal, the guy down the street... Whoever owns the copyrights. You can have an artist that wants to post their songs, but has producers who wont allow it.

Why is some corporate faggot gonna take away that freedom when there are plenty of artists who dont mind. /////Corporate faggots don't like to lose money, and as I've shown you, it's the COMPANY that loses here.

NOBODY goes into a record store and picks up some cd they never heard of and buys it based on looks alone


Guess Im the ONLY person in the world then that does so.


hahaha. I copped a RuggedMan CD like that

Yep,

I've seen a guy get sucked through a jet engine and then spit out the back, and he survived... That doesn't make it a good idea. The numbers are Insanely stacked against you. Sure there are the ocasional exceptions, but c'mon... You aint gonna move units with the strategy of "Someone might pick it out of the crowd just for the hell of it"

Yep,

I've seen a guy get sucked through a jet engine and then spit out the back, and he survived... That doesn't make it a good idea.

Actually, that seems like a cool idea... thanx for the idea bisix... :D

I've seen a guy get sucked through a jet engine and then spit out the back, and he survived

I seen that. It was whoa. hahahah,





your right though, aint no point for me to have my tapes in Cali cause non of them gonna be bought unless i got some type of street team there promoting it or my name is known

anyhow the only way to get a distribution deal is if you got enough hype or more importantly demand

alot of people fuck up right here, and sign big distribution deals, and then cant promote their shit.

Honestly......... what motive is there to buy an Album that you've 'previewed' through downloading, when you can just download the rest of it for free.


Unless you are an extremely loyal fan, rich, or know the emcee personally, I highly doubt that you would just buy their album for a couple dollars instead of for free, based soulely on the fact that you want to 'support' them. Why get something for money when you can get it for free, theres absolutely no motive aside from wanting to support that emcee. And no one really donates to emcees and shit like that, so why 'support' them by buying their albums?

Honestly......... what motive is there to buy an Album that you've 'previewed' through downloading, when you can just download the rest of it for free.


Unless you are an extremely loyal fan, rich, or know the emcee personally, I highly doubt that you would just buy their album for a couple dollars instead of for free, based soulely on the fact that you want to 'support' them. Why get something for money when you can get it for free, theres absolutely no motive aside from wanting to support that emcee. And no one really donates to emcees and shit like that, so why 'support' them by buying their albums?



If you dont get it, you just dont get it, no matter how much anyone will try to explain.

......................I don't get it?

Spectrum I feel you.......I ALWAYS abide by my same rules downloading shit. I only download one or two songs than buy the album. Besides, if you go look up an underground artist and want to download his album, your not going to find every song....maybe just one or two. Commerical rap I don't listen to.....so its not an issue. Stevie Wonder is having a new cd come out soon. I only downloaded 1 song and im buying the album.

Downloading movies is only good for pornos.

we pay for internet and should be free to do whatever the fuck we want with it, long as it doesn't endanger the lives of others

we pay for internet and should be free to do whatever the fuck we want with it, long as it doesn't endanger the lives of others
^^^HA HAH HA AH HAHAH AH AH AHA A HA HAHA HA A

WOW!!!

you must be confused...

Unfortunately, it takes much sacrifice to be an artist. A world full of stealers cannot expect that being a musician/artist is to be done solely for the love of it. The world no longer -- if it ever did -- works that way.

Big Six makes the point that artist almost never see their mechanical royalties because they never outlive the advances. But, consider it. The more pirating, the less advance. That's the most logical of outcomes. Cost benefit. Lower advances would then equal less of a desire to make a life out of being an artist. Taken to its exteme, the most talented of artists would have no choice but to turn their back to the industy and music they love. For survivals sake.

The objective should be for artist to consume the market with their product. Created and distributed by them. The record labels belonging to the same ethnicity as the artist. That's the best route. But for now, these starving artist can only depend on their fans to buy from the shelves of record stores.

If you love music, no matter what genre it exist in, you would realize that it is not beneficial to have free reign to pirate whatever you like because this is the internet.

But for now, these starving artist can only depend on their fans to buy from the shelves of record stores.

That's where you're wrong. The artist make their "good" money through concerts and tours. Why do you think the RIAA is so offensive? Because they're not getting paid properly.

Unfortunately, it takes much sacrifice to be an artist. A world full of stealers cannot expect that being a musician/artist is to be done solely for the love of it. The world no longer -- if it ever did -- works that way.
^^^^*REP* It's funny how many people think when you decide to be a rapper, you just get a check for $1,000,000. Most people can't even immagine the sacrifices it takes to go ANYWHERE.

Big Six makes the point that artist almost never see their mechanical royalties because they never outlive the advances. But, consider it. The more pirating, the less advance. That's the most logical of outcomes. Cost benefit. Lower advances would then equal less of a desire to make a life out of being an artist. Taken to its exteme, the most talented of artists would have no choice but to turn their back to the industy and music they love. For survivals sake.
^^^It's the artist's job to negotiate for their advance. Pirating really doesn't effect that, because the artist has the right to turn down a deal. If you don't have more than 1 label trying to sign you, you get a sucker deal... That is standard... take it or leave it. Labels try to trick you here... They say that you want to take the smallest advance as possible so that you can recoup as quick as possible and get to earning your royalties.. BUT THE TRUTH IS that if you start to do well, they throw more money at you, and if you do well they do it again. You end up chasing an endless sea of advances that you didn't want in the first place, but as long as the label keeps making $$ on their investments, they will keep investing... and you still never recoup.. and ALL YOU GOT WAS THAT MEASLEY LITTLE ADVANCE IN THE BEGINNING........ On the other hand, if you make the label give you a BIG ADVANCE, now they have more $$$ invested in you, and there is an A&R Rep who has to see his boss everyday and justify giving out a large advance.. So the A&R Rep will do EVERYTHING in his power to MAKE SURE your project succedes, including massive promotions that the SUCKER DEAL guy DOESN'T GET. Remember, when it comes to Mechanical Royalties, YOU WANT THE BIGGEST ADVANCE YOU CAN GET!!!!! Don't let 'em fool you!!!!

.

Lower advances would then equal less of a desire to make a life out of being an artist.

yeah, and does that mean that britney spears wont get that super powered jet with the 8million turbos on it? Does that mean she will have to settle for something less than a 8million turbo jet??? :(

^ or have 5 different cribs with about 10 cars and fucking a closet that looks like 5 of my rooms. Let alone let me make a new house right next to mine for my new up coming baby kid. Come on. They should sell Cd's for 99 cents. They make enough money from tours and there i can really say they do at least a lilbit of work. Recording an album isn't that complicated. They just make it seem that is when they do those shitty making things on MTV.

Huh? A turbojet? Most jet modern jet engines are Turbofans and the whole thing is practically a turbo anyway they don't have turbos "in/on them." If it's piston engined then it's not a jet, it's plane with a big car engine (for the most part) on it like a P51 Mustang.

Edit: Stealing is wrong and thus so am I, but usually buy if I like it.

Artists that get filthy rich make that money freom PUBLISHING!!!!!

Not mechanical royalties, or performance fees, or merchandise. You can make a lot in performance fees and merch... but not the kind of money your talking about... That comes from PUBLISHING. and Sponsorships and Endorsements.

Huh? A turbojet? Most jet modern jet engines are Turbofans and the whole thing is practically a turbo anyway they don't have turbos "in/on them." If it's piston engined then it's not a jet, it's plane with a big car engine (for the most part) on it like a P51 Mustang.

Edit: Stealing is wrong and thus so am I, but usually buy if I like it.

Whatthefuckisamattawityou?? I was being sarcastic. Shut Up. :mad: <:-P

and fuck a mustang, ima steal that too..

I do think it should be illegal because at least that way the government isn't just allowing something to go on without having a hand in it (like they are MANY things). But that's it, I download shit for free all day I have no right to say no one else can do it. I don't know the last time I purchased a real album oh wait yes I do, Jay-Z "The Black Album" and that's just 'cause it was Jay I had the bootleg a week or 2 prior via RW's Entertainment Section which was new at the time.

no

if a cd's wack except for like 2 songs i dont want to spend 15 bucks for 2 songs so i d/l the shit i like..if the whole cd or most of it is nice i'll buy it and support them....

its a tough question, in my area its very hard to get hold of underground cd's that i want (JMT, Non Phixion etc) plus i dont like buying stuff over the internet. So i download BUT i do buy cd's as well, (stuff like wu-tang, common etc) the more commercial ones, i spose this is fucked up as it should be the underground artists gettin my money but what can you do?................

I think that different genres of artist have to be looked at differently as well.

Big Six, I negotiate on behalf on clients all the time. Shit is not just: "I want money nigga" and they say "no money" and then you say "more money." It takes a long time to finalize a contract through negotiations. And black artists in particular, won't be in a very good bargaining position. If the only way to have any leverage in a negotiation concerned with advances, or royalties, or the contract in general is to sell or be saleable; then pirating depletes that ability and equals less advances. That's the simple nature of it all.

Maybe the record companies should lower the price of CDs...that would be a solution. But combined with their greed, and their desire to pay artist just a small pittance, that wouldn't benefit artists either.

See my point?

WUNZUNO

Downloading? When i visited this site i downloaded cookies. It's not illegal in that sense. I think you mean piracy. :)

^HA. See, the problem is the RIAA goes after the people who share 400+ files, rather than the ones who share fewer and the ones who are first to leak the advanced copies.

Big Six, I negotiate on behalf on clients all the time. Shit is not just: "I want money nigga" and they say "no money" and then you say "more money." It takes a long time to finalize a contract through negotiations. And black artists in particular, won't be in a very good bargaining position. If the only way to have any leverage in a negotiation concerned with advances, or royalties, or the contract in general is to sell or be saleable; then pirating depletes that ability and equals less advances. That's the simple nature of it all.
^^You get your leverage by selling out venues and moving product at your shows. Pirating doesn't effect that. We deal with contracts and labels all the time, and yes, there is a lot that goes into negotiations, but if you don't negotiate for a bigger advance then you won't get the promotional support you need, and you have a 6% chance of success.

What most people don't understand is that you don't want a record deal until a certain point in your carrer. If you sign too soon, you sell yourself short and your chances are next to nothing, AND THERE ARE NO SECOND CHANCES!!! Labels don't bet on somebody who has already failed.