Comment by BLKNSLVR
16 hours ago
The article touches on the topic and mentions Nine Inch Nails' and Radiohead's 'free' album releases.
There's also the possibility/likelihood (I can't recall the results of the research) that increasing exposure, via piracy, is actually better for the artist long term.
And then, as others have already responded, the worst offenders are, generally, the industry insiders themselves. Reports of the death of music are greatly exaggerated. Reports of the death of the music industry are widely looked forward to.
I pirated plenty as a kid with no money, it was cheap and it was easy - does anyone here remember high-speed dubbing? I also recorded a _lot_ of music off the radio. On the rare occasion I bough an album I made sure it was worth being the only thing I listen to for weeks - and the only way to know that is to have prior knowledge. I buy plenty as an adult with a music budget. I believe that's how it should be.
>increasing exposure, via piracy, is actually better for the artist long term.
If breaking someone's kneecaps extended their life by 20 years I wouldn't want someone to randomly break my kneecaps and feel good about it because they "did me a favor."
>I pirated plenty as a kid with no money
Neither age nor wealth exempts someone's stealing from being a crime. In fact I see it as worse crime as it sets a bad example that may be hard to change later.
Breaking someone's kneecaps is unquestionably a crime, copyright infringement for private consumption is not a crime, it's a civil offense (because listening to pirated MP3s doesn't make you a danger to society) so equating the two is a fallacy. I'm sure you already knew this since these arguments have been rehashed thousands of times over the past few decades.
I don't think you'd find much (if any) support on the moral angle either when it comes to people who genuinely can't afford to pay the asking price. I've never seen any authors, artists, etc. openly object to fans pirating their work in these circumstances but I've seen many of them openly encourage it. Seeing how you're equating the two, do you think they also like to have their kneecaps broken?
>people who genuinely can't afford to pay the asking price
In reality these people could pay for music. A kid could ask their parents for money or go mow the lawn of a neighbor. Often many of these people who can't pay could sacrifice something else in their life in order to be able to pay. For people with poor financial aptitude often their expenses will grow to match their income so they will never be able to pay despite making enough to pay if they didn't spend the money on something else.
>do you think they also like to have their kneecaps broken?
If an artist thinks a child breaking their kneecaps is a good thing they are free to let it happen. But there is a risk that it gives the impression that other artists are okay with it.
Fair enough, I don't think your choice of analogy is very apt , but I won't try to change your mind.
I'm entirely comfortable with my choices and my effect on society in general.
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