Illegal downloading...let’s face it; we all do it, some just more than others. But while the innocent fifteen year old with not much in the way of pocket money just wants to listen to her favourite band, another suited 30-something is making a fortune out of selling pirated DVD’s. Who would you say is the guiltier of the 2? Well, as figures show 6 million of us are illegally downloading our music every year, and a staggering 95% of all music downloaded in the UK is apparently pirated. In 2008 alone it’s estimated that 40 billion music files were illegally shared, which comes at a loss that runs into billions of dollars for the music business. So it’s no surprise that industry bosses are now literally shaking in their designer suits. With the problem seemingly growing each year industry professionals and artists are desperately scrambling for ways to try and stop people stealing their music.
So far punishments have ranged from the harmless warning letters to astronomically high cost lawsuits, and even the suspension of people’s internet usage. But as of yet nothing really ‘official’ has occurred, and music industry professionals are stuck in limbo, losing more and more money each year.
In September 2009 Lily Allen started her blog, and has been seen as somewhat of an industry spokesperson on the subject of illegal file-sharing. Titled 'It's Not Alright' the blog featured other artists' thoughts on the file-sharing topic and included supportive messages from artists such as Mark Ronson, Gary Barlow of Take That and Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan. A selection of bands and artists have now joined forces to create the ‘Featured Artists Coalition’ that campaign for fair rights for bands and artists. The FAC condemn illicit file-sharing websites that give away music to make a profit, but understand the need of unpaid ‘peer-to-peer’ promotion for up and coming artists. The FAC website states,
“The focus of our objection is the proposed treatment of ordinary music fans who download a few tracks so as to check out our material before they buy. For those of us who don’t get played on the radio or mentioned in the music media – artists established and emerging – peer-to-peer recommendation is an important form of promotion.
“By demanding blanket suspension powers from the Government, the industry is in danger of cutting-off a promotional tool that is of great use to fledgling artists who seek to create a buzz around themselves yet don’t have the financial support of a major label.”
But what can be done to stop 6 million people around the world. This is not the same as the ‘Home Taping Is Killing Music’ campaign of the 80’s and should not be treated as such. Music industry bosses need to stop resisting and accept that illegal downloading is a fact of 21st-century life. Researchers that analysed the downloading of Radiohead's ‘In Rainbows’ (which was made available for free through the official website) found that the majority of fans still downloaded the music from pirate websites.
The authors of the study argue that the record companies need to find new ways to generate income from their music, rather than chasing the illegal downloader’s. For example licensing agreements with YouTube or legal peer-to-peer websites. In other words, they should do the musical equivalent of giving away free sweets and sell the advertising on the wrappers.
So far punishments have ranged from the harmless warning letters to astronomically high cost lawsuits, and even the suspension of people’s internet usage. But as of yet nothing really ‘official’ has occurred, and music industry professionals are stuck in limbo, losing more and more money each year.
In September 2009 Lily Allen started her blog, and has been seen as somewhat of an industry spokesperson on the subject of illegal file-sharing. Titled 'It's Not Alright' the blog featured other artists' thoughts on the file-sharing topic and included supportive messages from artists such as Mark Ronson, Gary Barlow of Take That and Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan. A selection of bands and artists have now joined forces to create the ‘Featured Artists Coalition’ that campaign for fair rights for bands and artists. The FAC condemn illicit file-sharing websites that give away music to make a profit, but understand the need of unpaid ‘peer-to-peer’ promotion for up and coming artists. The FAC website states,
“The focus of our objection is the proposed treatment of ordinary music fans who download a few tracks so as to check out our material before they buy. For those of us who don’t get played on the radio or mentioned in the music media – artists established and emerging – peer-to-peer recommendation is an important form of promotion.
“By demanding blanket suspension powers from the Government, the industry is in danger of cutting-off a promotional tool that is of great use to fledgling artists who seek to create a buzz around themselves yet don’t have the financial support of a major label.”
But what can be done to stop 6 million people around the world. This is not the same as the ‘Home Taping Is Killing Music’ campaign of the 80’s and should not be treated as such. Music industry bosses need to stop resisting and accept that illegal downloading is a fact of 21st-century life. Researchers that analysed the downloading of Radiohead's ‘In Rainbows’ (which was made available for free through the official website) found that the majority of fans still downloaded the music from pirate websites.
The authors of the study argue that the record companies need to find new ways to generate income from their music, rather than chasing the illegal downloader’s. For example licensing agreements with YouTube or legal peer-to-peer websites. In other words, they should do the musical equivalent of giving away free sweets and sell the advertising on the wrappers.
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