“All the studies show that the largest illegal downloaders of music are also the largest purchasers of music.”
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From Chris Huff, in response to Download This: My Troubled Love Affair with Buying Music:
All the studies show that the largest illegal downloaders of music are also the largest purchasers of music. Iggy in that interview also said a great quote about how punishing illegal downloaders is like “sending someone to Australia for poaching His Lordship’s rabbit.”
As a professional musician myself, I am happiest when music is available to listen to before purchase. In the old days (and still in some hip record stores in places like Austin and SF), you could always listen to a record before you bought it. The smaller the band, the more likely I am to purchase the music up front to support the artist if it is not available elsewhere. But I don’t really feel any qualms about having illegally downloaded all the King Crimson albums recently. I’m not really sure if I like them. Some of the music I’ve never heard. Three of the records I already own on CD. If one I’ve never heard before really grabs me, I will eventually buy it. Turns out I’m really liking a couple and I will probably purchase them.
My pet peeve in modern culture is when technology is available but major media companies and big bands refuse to use it or get super proprietary i.e. Tool and King Crimson and others refusing to put music on Spotify. Or you can’t (even for purchase) watch a TV show you’re interested in. The Frank Zappa Estate resisted the streaming services for years and years, but finally released all his albums on there – and thank goodness they did! If you don’t make the music/TV/etc available to listen to, it will disappear and be forgotten in the cloud of modern media glut. And nobody wants that. Esp Zappa! He deserved to be heard!
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeThe income streams of music are changing and the old ways are dying. But vinyl is also the only physical music medium where sales are actually growing. Strange times we live in. My suggestion would be to sign up for Spotify Premium or Rhapsody (which is legal) with your son and enjoy countless hours of happy listening. You pick a song, then he picks a song. The important thing is sharing the music you both love together. Then have “Record Day” where you each pick out tracks from different vinyl records and listen. He could even pick from things he doesn’t know – maybe he just likes the covers. There are more listening options out there and more music available than ever before – enjoy!!
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Photo: wmbreedveld/Flickr
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