People Who Pirate Music Are Assholes

Concert sales are porbbaly flat because nobody wants to watch manufactured crap any more. I think it's really funny that the only people who complain about file sharing are people that either work for, or profit from the record label industry. Anyone level headed that isn't involved with a label understands that exposure is a good thing, and quite a lot of us are enjoying playing sold out venues!I'd never wish anyone harm, but I do pity the acts that have made a career off a label before the internet age, only to lose it. The public have only been falling for labels ridiculous trumped up bullshit because for a long time it's been the only means of finding out about music, and now that we have a much better means of finding music (age as well as diversity) the labels are finding it harder and harder to compete.WAAAAA PEOPLE ARE COPYING OUR MUSIC WAAAAAAAAOh sorry if your marketing strategies are shit, perhaps stop going after people who are helping to promote music by sharing it..... I realise some people are all take and no give but it's ridiculous to just call everyone who pirates music an asshole lol

Btw if you hadn't gathered, I'm a professional musician, if anyone reading is, and you support music sharing, please look up musicians for piracy on facebook :D

I stumbled over your article when searching for the industry's exact figures because I am studying in that field and have read it with the most interest. I'm always fond of people who are keen enough to really say what they think and so I really appreciate that you have called me an asshole. It's no sarcasm, really. In spite of this I have to say that you are totally wrong. I won't state any figures here, but if you search for them in the right places, than you will clearly find that the industry isn't shrinking. The figures stating that the industry is, in fact, decreasing, are mostly faked. Not in a sense of intentional, evil faking, but most times numbers get stated in an interview with no background or research at all, then they get quoted, quoted and quoted again until someday they become fact. But they aren't. But I really don't wanna talk about figures but more about my personal experience. I love music, I really do. And I am also an artist (not in music but in visual art) so I understand both sides and the problems at hand. I never bought albums when I was younger because I couldn't afford them but also because I didn't know, what to buy. You can't form a good musical taste with mainstream media. Most things that are on the radio or on mtv or in shops a complete shit. I say this loud and proud: Lady Gaga is shit. Beyoncé is shit. All this grammy award nominees (except Arcade Fire) are shit. And I don't say this in a subjectve way. This music is just shit and people who don't pirate are forced to buy this because they just don't know better. To really LIKE music you have to hear music but in these times you just don't have the time to go to some underground music store anymore, you have to inform yourself at home. Since I developed a taste in music and do know what to listen to myself I buy a lot of albums. I pirate them, I listen to them and the good ones I buy. I buy the shit out of amazon or whereever. It just wouldn't be possible without pirating. I wouldn't even know where to start... So please consider this the next time you call people assholes. I just don't want to buy mainstream media, and so I HAVE to pirate stuff. And then buy it. And I really do. Not everything. But a lot.

2006 ($60.7 billion), 2007 ($61.5 billion), 2008 ($62.6 billion), 2009 ($65.0 billion), 2010 ($66.4 billion), 2011 ($67.6 billion)Those are the posted profits for the record industry. Does that look like they are hurting. LOL, this guy is the asshole.

Instead of calling people who download free tunes asshole's, consider pointing your finger at the record industry that get one of the highest profit margins of any consumer product. Bring the price down to where it's affordable and we will buy it. I have over 400 cd's that are legally purchased but every time I go to the store the prices goes up, and what do the retailers tell me, the music industry has raised the price of cd's 14 times in last ten years. Fuck'em, I will pirate until I die.

I just hate people who think piracy is justified. It's a crime. An extremely petty crime overblown by record companies, but just because it's socially acceptable doesn't mean it's right.

if you're playing music/making records just to get paid, well, are you really an artist? and how sincere is your art? i'm broke as hell, and all of my most decent recordings are freely downloadable (reverbnation.com/americanradio... - also, i would definitely rather be heard than paid. and in this day and age, with so much free music, young people are going to gravitate towards what's free simply because they don't have a ton of disposable income. i definitely hear  the opinion that piracy degrades the efforts of an artist, but at the same time, aren't we making it for ourselves, in hopes that someone might identify and enjoy it? the fact of the matter is, since technology has made it cost virtually nothing to make an alright recording... people are going to keep doing it... because they are compelled to do so. Music will always win because now we don't need labels... and when we don't need a label taking a cut... selling 10,000 records at 100% profit... is similar to selling a million at 1% profit (ie:coldplay) -  not to mention placements in popular shows throwing our little folk songs in their big kiss scenes ... you can totally get by if your music is pirated... you just realize that the people who truly love you are going to pay for it.. but the casual fan is still important because you want to reach their emotions too.. you want to share an experience. that's just my humble opinion though. 

Even if this guy had a point it was a horribly written article. Did he even spell check? Im just glad I dont have to buy an album now without hearing it first, and only liking one song on the whole cd.The internet has helped to make new avenues for bands to be recognized and for a wider variety of great music that is so damn original. Radiohead makes such great music, that they dont have a record label, they offter their cd for free, donations are appreciated. They have less album sales, but make more money. If your music is good enough, people will support you. 

I have to imagine that anybody who thinks Ben is a "dinosaur" doesn't actually make music for a living, or work in a business that's directly affected by it.

It's a funny time in the music world.  Your potential for getting a little bit of fame is certainly much greater than it was 15 years ago.  But your potential for turning that into something that you can do for a living for the rest of your life is that much worse.

Ben, you are indeed a dinosaur, and you aren't very smart. Criticizing piracy is irrelevant since most people won't pay for something if they can get it for free. The record labels need to smarten up and adapt to changes in technology if they want to survive. They need to create things they can capitalize on (i.e. vinyl, merch, other attractive things people can take pride in owning) since they can't capitalize on the music itself anymore.

If artists want to make money by selling music then they need to walk away from the record companies. I have much more respect for independent artists and I am more likely to pay for not only their music but to see their live shows. Music is meant to be heard and shared with like minded people this is the way it has always been, should I charge my friends admission if they want to come over and listen to the new CD that I just bought, no. But by exposing them to it when that band comes to town they are more likely to go and see the live show with me. And to my knowledge there is no way to pirate your way into a live show so the artists get their money. Do shows at smaller venues get up close and personal with your fans and the money will roll in, if that is what you want. I as a lover of music would simply be happy with the opportunity of writing/performing one of those albums that become instant classics. Money will come and go, but too actually make something historical that will last forever. If you are only in the music business to make money then I probably don't want to hear you anyway. There are a few really great local bands in my area that simply love to make music and it comes across in their shows, up close and personal and real so you not only hear it, but you see it and feel it. That is what making music is all about, love what you do and if it makes you money then good for you!

Wow, whoever wrote this is completely full of shit. You really think musicians that aren't making money off there music are going to stop making music? It's what musicians do. Besides, making music will always get you laid, even if you don't get paid.

“Home taping is killing the music industry”, that mantra isas tiresome today as it was 25 years ago. @Colin was spot on in pointing outthat the vast majority of musicians out there have never made their living offof album sales, but rather through other avenues. Now it’s a shame these days theymay miss out on a extra few hundred or grand per year, I’m sure they could useit, but honestly there are more important things to worry about. As far thosewho might sell enough for it to make a real appreciable difference to theirpocketbooks…well don’t cry for me Argentina. I rolled my eyes when Metallicabitched about it a decade ago (who ironically made their bones on the backs ofa healthy tape trading culture) and it’s much the same now. These are the 1%,and I could honestly give a fuck whether some rich person who already hastheirs has some more.

As to the claim Westhoff made that downloading has capsizedperipheral industries like music writing, c’mon man, talk about lazy logic. Theonly similarity there is that there has been a revolutionary change in deliverysystems and the content providers were caught flat footed. File sharing was notthe bullet that killed magazines, beyond that there may be less advertisingdollars flowing into the publications coffers. I’m sure that means something,but its hardly the greater issue. Any publisher who claims that it was, is justlooking to pass the blame for their own lack of foresight.

Let’s speak about lack of foresight. @Bad Bob! made theexcellent point that the large record companies have only themselves to blame.For years and years they have grasped at technology to reduce costs whileincreasing prices. “CD’s great! Cheaper to produce than vinyl and we don’t haveto include artwork! Digital downloads! Fantastic! We don’t even have to produceanything tangible anymore!” What was the high water price point of thischarade? $18.99? And you’re surprised that when given an out the public gavethem the finger?

Honestly it’s hard for me to shed tear one for these fools,because as has been pointed out it isn’t 99% of the artists themselves that aresuffering through direct result of this. No the true wreckage is the staff ofthe record companies themselves. No more getting fat off of others labor andideas (though I’m sure that kid fresh out of college who lost his A&R gigwas a very nice guy).

This is not to say that the aforementioned 99% aren’t suffering,because they surely are. As Westhoff cited, concert sales and merch sales areflat. Though this, much like magazine sales, has little to do with downloadculture. It in fact has everything to do with that EVERYONE IS SUFFERING. Therejust isn’t the money to go around for the niceties of concert tickets andtshirts right now.

When someone’s wallet is empty I know it’s very easy topoint their finger at the easy target, folks do it with immigrants all the time…buthonestly try to open your eyes to the bigger picture.

It would add some credibility to your positions if you'd back up your blanket statements about the trends you cite with some actual data. Concert prices may be flat over the past few years but that's mainly due to the recession. Comparing the period of the last 10-12 years, in which music piracy has proliferated, you'll see the trend is steadily increasing for concert revenue. Both the number of tickets sold and the average ticket price have both increased over time.

I'm not necessarily condoning piracy, but the music industry has also found ways to compensate. They were also slow to adapt to the digital model. Had they been more receptive early on, the numbers for paid downloads would probably be higher than they are currently.

People will go to great lengths to rationalize not paying for something.

lol @ the line "Because, who good is going to continue to record if they can't get paid?" Um, people who are in it for the love of music?! shutup dude, you're a 'dinosaur'.

fuck the guy who wrote this article. Do you remember when people had to buy newspapers? or magazines? now we can read your article for free you twit.

the bottom line is that theft is wrong and it's a violation of property rights.  whether we consider people who do it "jerks" or consider it "normal", a world where everyone did this would be a worse place to live; we would lose trust in the integrity of exchange and in the trustworthiness of our fellow man to exchange with.

You know what I miss?  Vaudeville.

The reason Henry Rollins is fine with people downloading his music is because getting paid based on album sales is possibly the worst way for an artist / musician to make an income. It's all about licensing your music, touring (still small) and merch. Then of course, once a band starts licensing their music to commercials, tv, movies, and shopping malls, they then have "sold out," yeah? The only detrimental thing downloading music has done for the industry is making cookie cutter b.s. over produced music the norm.

This asshole takes the line laid down by Ian Mackaye, which goes roughly something like this:

Music existed before the record industry and it will continue to exist after it.

(takes bow)