Why do you download music and not buy it?

Well before making this thread, I would have said, I buy CDs all the time.

But now that I'm living out on my own, I CAN'T spend any money. 10 bucks is a lot when you barely have over 100 to spend each month on "stuff" So now I'll be most likely "downloading" all my music now.

And because CDs can sometimes be bad, so it's better to just download the album then delete the bad songs, while keeping the good ones. If you like only 4 songs on the album, it saves you money! Singles!

The next CD I'm buying is Britney Spears "Circus." I will get that no matter what my financial status is But besides that, I really want David Archuleta's album, but I got no money really to spend...I'll get it in the future, sometime...

I buy CDs, but some artists never get released world wide. I've never seen a Taylor Swift album for sale here in Brazil for example, and importing one is insanely expensive.

I also download to see if the album is worth it, most of the times they're not.

And there's also those songs that play on the radio and you have to download separately from the album cuz you have no interest at all on it.

I do it because it's free. DUH.


And if I really like an album or it's by one of my favorite artists I usually buy it.

Why do it because they don't buy.

To be honest right now, I guess they don't want to pay for art works, etc.

Because I love music. If an album is good enough I will buy the CD. But most albums are **** and not worth the money.

i only download songs if they leak early, if it's by an artist i really like i will buy the album when it comes out.... if it's an artist i don't like, usually i don't download anything

At least 99% of the music I own is paid for, but I allow myself a few exceptions. I don't think it's unfair to get a freebie here and there. I've bought over 40 albums this year and legally downloaded over 50 songs. I've illegally downloaded around ten songs in 2008 so that comes out to one a month. The freebie songs for me were by Janet and Christina (artists that I've paid for already on more than one occasion). Also, every album that has leaked and been shared with me on ATRL I have eventually gone out and purchased.

A good amount of people these days lack integrity which is the reason why they download all or most of their music without paying.

^Shame on myself...
ATM, I've downloaded two albums w/out buying...
1. Rockferry
2. Lessons to be Learned

Exactly the same here.

What does this have to do with integrity? I'm not giving the "evil" record companies any money. There are other ways to support the artists (while not supporting the labels).

Easy, free, naughty

Of course I know you can go see an artist on tour or buy their other merchandise, but when you deliberately take something that you know you should be paying for--that is where you lack integrity. I'm not accusing you per se, but citing the "evil" record companies is not an excuse. There are a handful of corrupt, greedy record execs like there are in nearly every industry, but for the most part record labels take on all the overhead costs and promotion fees in order to give musicians a chance to thrive. I know a lot of people want to "cut out the middleman" but what people don't understand is that the "middleman" is financing your band so that they can perform gigs and get their records heard. Believe it or not, most artists don't have the resources or know-how to survive in an independent dynamic which is why major record labels are key.

quite frankly cuz i have better things to spend my (non existent) money on. never brought a single, have like 3 cds that i actually spend money on though technically i pay for the internet connection sooo...

2 Posts Above
That's why they're evil.
Those selfish, greedy golddiggas...

I fall in here somewhere. When you're paying all expenses and living on your own or have bills to pay things look different. I do still buy CDs for artists I like.

You've got to find the ground where you support the artist and not the hungry label that takes away nearly all of their money made per sale. With the internet there will be lower costs of making physical albums which the labels pay for as well as distribution. This is a major price cut to what it used to cost now that it's mostly digital. It loses that feeling of having that new album in your hand and taking the packing plastic off, that can be quite a rush, but things are changing in music.

I support artists I believe in. I get their stuff and try to get others into them so they'll get their stuff too.

Right now is like a battle of the public versus the labels. David vs Goliath in one sense and Robin Hood vs The Sheriff of Nottingham in another. We know what we want and we really want to help the artists we love. It's the labels and the RIAA that don't want us to have it.

^Good post, but when you're living on your own and have other expenses to pay you have to sacrifice some things. Music is a luxury, not a right, and it's not up to you to decide it's okay to steal it. In some ways, I'm glad the internet came around, because a lot of teenagers and children can get the music they want immediately instead of having to wait for their parents to buy it for them/take them to a store. However, the internet has really lessened the impact and quality of music these days. The internet has made so many things more efficient, but it's also set a terrible example that if you want access to something you don't have to earn it--you can just take it. Every high-profile album that comes out these days is so anti-climactic because everything leaks to the net.

Also, maybe you failed to consider this, but when you refuse to pay for any artists except the ones you like, eventually the music industry is going to go bankrupt. So basically...the established artists have secured their fanbases and are guaranteed that their albums will sell, but without music labels there won't be any cultivation of new artists. Everybody thinks it's so easy to become a DIY musician nowadays with myspace or indie labels but that's not true at all. It's damn hard to establish a following and actually make profit in it.

I buy because I really like at least a majority of the album. I illegally download because it's there, convenience, curiosity, to judge whether I should invest or not, etc.

I'm not about to get into a big argument about this right now(curse you, Anatomy), but I will say this: I buy very few CDs anymore. To me, they're a waste of space and money, especially now that digital downloading has become such a thriving medium. And, you know, the whole economy sucking thing.

More importantly, I do find ways to listen to music without buying it. YouTube, MySpace, even the dreaded download. First of all, I'm poor, and, even if I had a steady job, I guarantee you that very little, if any, of my money would go toward music. The way the economy is right now, I couldn't afford to put down my money for something that I don't need. I'll admit that I'm just making excuses for something that is construed as illegal, but this whole process was inevitable, and became inevitable the moment the MP3 format was invented. Especially now, people don't have the money to be able to just go out and buy CDs randomly. People are just barely holding on to their homes, barely surviving. Why wouldn't they take the easy way out, if it saves you a lot of money down the line? Sometimes, it's just that simple.

I LOVE CDS!!

actually... i'm discovering artists all the time... so if they are indie bands they would appreciate that i download their songs illegaly

second... before i buy a cd... i have to listen to it first :-/, not all the time... but i've bought some CDs that are awful and i could have saved that money by listen to it first...

third.... buying songs on Itunes is just stupid .... why pay if can get it on limewire???
if i'm going to spend on music then i want the Disc, booklet, and the box... its not the same having the original in your hands than buy it on the interent....

fourth.... i dont think that is illegal when i download them

but i cant buy all the CDS that i want... when i finish my University career or get my first work im sure i'll get a lot
AND here in my country i cant find the artists that i like... BUT everytime my dad goes to the US i always ask him CDs
i buy not because of the artist profits... getting the CDs it's like a luxury to me