Do you illegally download?

[Retsu]

Even to a casual listener 128 kb/s is pretty disgusting. 192 is typically the standard for MP3 encodings (or V2 at least), with hardcore audiophiles (*guilty*) being too snobby for anything that isn't lossless, OGG, or a V0 MP3.

Limewire is crawling with malware, transcodes, and disturbingly bad rips. I avoid it like the plague.

 

[Storm Earth and Fire]

Lossless files are fun. Unfortunately, they take up a lot of space.

Why isn't this thread in Entertainment, anyway?

 

[Retsu]

I suppose because this thread is about the act of downloading material illegally as opposed to discussing the material itself.

 

[Dannichu]

Better question:
Why should poor people not get to experience such a large part of modern culture?

That's a pretty bad argument for downloading. Other such questions could be "Why should poor people not have cars and 6-bedroom houses?".

 

[IIMarckus]

That's a pretty bad argument for downloading. Other such questions could be "Why should poor people not have cars and 6-bedroom houses?".

If cars and large houses were available for free, why not? The auto and construction industries would be the only ones to lose out.

 

[Shiny Grimer]

Wait, isn't it not illeagal to download a ROM if you have the game?

No. It's only legal if you rip the copy yourself and use it for back-up purposes. I'd love to be able to do that since I'm pretty wary of ROM sites, but I don't have the materials to do it for every system that I own. :P

As for this, mainly just music and very rarely videos. I've only once downloaded an emulator and ROM and those files no longer exist on my computer. I've never downloaded programs or movies.

If cars and large houses were available for free, why not? The auto and construction industries would be the only ones to lose out.

You could argue that it's stealing and that the makers of the houses/cars wouldn't get their compensation.

I would buy more stuff except that I don't have the money to do so and it's so inconvenient to actually have to go anywhere.

 

[Retsu]

That's a pretty bad argument for downloading. Other such questions could be "Why should poor people not have cars and 6-bedroom houses?".

Because by giving them cars and six-bedroom houses, you are taking something away from someone else, whether it be the profit that the company would make or whoever owned it originally. Downloading music has no such effects, and actually benefits music as a whole.

 

[opaltiger]

That's a pretty bad argument for downloading. Other such questions could be "Why should poor people not have cars and 6-bedroom houses?".

There are a limited number of cars and 6-bedroom houses. Data can be copied an unlimited number of times, at no cost. Quite a large difference.

 

[Shiny Grimer]

There are a limited number of cars and 6-bedroom houses. Data can be copied an unlimited number of times, at no cost. Quite a large difference.

It can be argued that by not buying the music, you are still taking away profits that the company and artist could have gained otherwise.

 

[Retsu]

It can be argued that by not buying the music, you are still taking away profits that the company and artist could have gained otherwise.

I can't emphasize the awesomeness of this article enough.
It's long, but it's so enlightening. Everyone here should read it.

 

[#1 bro]

It can be argued that by not buying the music, you are still taking away profits that the company and artist could have gained otherwise.

I don't know the exact number, but the artists get very little amount of each record sale. The label takes most of it for themselves. The artists get even less if you purchase their albums on iTunes. In fact, I think that when Radiohead basically gave out their In Rainbows album for free, the artists made about as much money as they would off of a normal album, due to all the money going straight into Radiohead's pockets. Most of artists' money comes from concerts and merchandise, if I'm not mistaken.

Also, much of piracy isn't lost record sales. I'm curious enough about, say, the new Kanye West album to pirate it, but since almost everyone I know has told me it's terrible, I'm not going to spend my cash on it. And, in fact, people often end up buying physical CDs if they like an album enough. I own ROMs of Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, but they kicked ass so much that I bought the games off of the Virtual Console, which I might not have done if I hadn't played the ROMs. So in that respect, piracy actually increased sales.

The other thing is that I doubt most artists really care all that much if you pirate their music. Lots of underground acts give away their music for free anyway in order to spread the word, and all the major bands like Metallica already have private planes and whatnot so who even cares. :|

A private tracker, but it can be hard to find invites to one. I'm afraid of public trackers - I know Demonoid, for example, doesn't really do a whole lot to encrypt your information.

If you don't mind traditional downloading, there are a number of awesome LiveJournal communities like mp3_share with large communities that can pretty much get you anything you request. (Although at the time of writing, it doesn't look like LJ's up... oh well.)

For the record, songs you buy on iTunes are terrible quality. 128 kb/s makes me die a little inside.

I don't think any of these options would work for me, sadly. If public trackers are really as risky as you say they are, then I suppose I should stay away from them, and I'm never going to get an invite to a private tracking considering how all my real life friends just use LimeWire and I don't really have any internet friends (more like... internet acquaintances), and then I don't have a LiveJournal.

aargh, I'll find something.

 

[Retsu]

Note that everything in the first part of Zeta's post applies to major labels. Small independent labels, on the other hand, are for the most part (with only very few exceptions) deserving of any support they can receive. Thankfully, about 95% of my music is from an independent label, so I always be sure to buy the CD if I enjoy it enough. :) Though that's just me personally...

 

[see ya]

Yes, to a small degree. Most of my music is ripped from CDs, but I'll go download a song or two occasionally. Most of what I download are ROMs, and I'm pretty picky (RPGs only, generally, as I can't stand playing platformers with a keyboard)

Generally, anything that's from a major label's free game. My occasional picking-up of a song or two or an old Nintendo game that's not even drawing a profit anymore isn't going to hurt them.

And speaking of audiophiles...I find it really ironic that I have extremely sensitive hearing, but am not audio-snobbish at all. I'll pretty much take a song whatever quality I can get, so long as it isn't "sounds like it's creaking out of a 20 year-old stereo" bad.

 

[s k]

I'm running pirated XP right now.

 

[Exdeath]

I download ROMs and emulators to play really old games, and that's about it.

 

[Shiny Grimer]

I can't emphasize the awesomeness of this article enough.
It's long, but it's so enlightening. Everyone here should read it.

I want to read it, but my computer blocks it. :( Quotes, please?

I don't know the exact number, but the artists get very little amount of each record sale. The label takes most of it for themselves. The artists get even less if you purchase their albums on iTunes. In fact, I think that when Radiohead basically gave out their In Rainbows album for free, the artists made about as much money as they would off of a normal album, due to all the money going straight into Radiohead's pockets. Most of artists' money comes from concerts and merchandise, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm aware of that; however, they still lose any amount of money that they could have made, and the label definitely loses money.

Also, much of piracy isn't lost record sales. I'm curious enough about, say, the new Kanye West album to pirate it, but since almost everyone I know has told me it's terrible, I'm not going to spend my cash on it. And, in fact, people often end up buying physical CDs if they like an album enough. I own ROMs of Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, but they kicked ass so much that I bought the games off of the Virtual Console, which I might not have done if I hadn't played the ROMs. So in that respect, piracy actually increased sales.

I'm sorry, but how many people actually do that? Plenty of people would just download the torrent and they would never buy the album whether they like it or not. You can't count on people to essentially buy something they already have unless it includes something else.

Imagine this. If you could get a version of a CD in stores that was exactly the same but was free and you could get it at your own convenience without having to go anywhere, would you really buy that same CD again?

The other thing is that I doubt most artists really care all that much if you pirate their music. Lots of underground acts give away their music for free anyway in order to spread the word, and all the major bands like Metallica already have private planes and whatnot so who even cares. :|

I know there are plenty of artists who care. Stealing from the rich is still stealing, no matter how you try to justify it.

I'd like to clarify at this point that I am not personally against illegal downloading; I am defending it for the sake of it.

 

[Retsu]

And speaking of audiophiles...I find it really ironic that I have extremely sensitive hearing, but am not audio-snobbish at all. I'll pretty much take a song whatever quality I can get, so long as it isn't "sounds like it's creaking out of a 20 year-old stereo" bad.

Yeah, there's probably no reason to use a lossless file unless you plan to make heavy use of equalization, big dB gain, etc. If you just listen to music in your player of choice and don't do much else, there's no reason to use anything higher than a 192 kb/s (V2) MP3.

 

[Tarvos]

192 is good enough for me. If I want higher quality, I have the cd of choice anyway probably. I buy CD's of the artists I like... I support them. But artists don't make money off CD's; the labels do. So buy independent label CD's, not so many major label ones unless you like the artists.

And if you enjoy their music and wanna support them, go to shows. Artists make more money off shows and merch than anything else.

 

[Retsu]

Definitely. Record labels have absolutely no control over merchandise or shows, so it's all fair game.

Another reason I like to support independent labels is because their practices aren't completely corrupt like the RIAA whores. Independent labels are typically extremely supportive of their bands, doing their best to get their artists' names out there... after all, that's the only way they'll survive.

 

[opaltiger]

I'm sorry, but how many people actually do that?

Way more than you'd expect.