Vanion, to answer your question, it’s not that I am totally against downloading music. I have personly downloaded a few songs (and by a few, probably less than a dozen) that there was only one song on the album I really liked or an obscure version of a song that I’ve had a hard time finding in the store or online. On personal note, I just feel better about buying the album new or used.
From my perspective as a songwriter, I and my co-writer will spend a couple hours jamming to come up with new material. We may then spend the next few days to weeks rewriting and tweaking the song, and sometimes finally just throw the thing in the trash if it proves to be unworkable. Then we will go through the recording process where we have to schedule time and money to have the song professionally laid down in a multi-track recording. At this point, were still just getting started. We have to get the song copy written, find a publishing house to represent our songs to the artists by mailing out many, many, many demo CDs, negotiate contracts, which may once again require an outlay of cash for a lawyer. All of this with a large potential that the song will never sell, and if it does, it generally takes a minimum of year to year and half before it makes it on the air. So a lot of hard work goes into it’s production.
I know it seems that one person downloading and ripping and album doesn’t see like a whole lot, maybe a few cents out of my pocket. But multiply that by thousands of people world wide…well our work suddenly become less valuable.
I hope this doesn’t sound like me preaching from my soapbox, but just want you to see the other end of spectrum.
Cheers!
