I agree with Meat's opinions on downloaded music.
Not so long ago I had a row with a guy on another forum about downloading music, and let me share a few of the points and counterpoints.
He claimed downloading was good for the artist, because their music is heard by someone who might not go out and buy an album, and who might buy the next.
I answered that if you want an idea of what an artist is like you can..........
Listen to their music vida (available on youtube)
Ask friends what the artist is like.
Read reviews online and in magazines.
Buy a compilation album (giving a broad spectrum of the artists work).
Buy a second hand copy of one of their albums on ebay (set you back, what? £2 tops).
Also, if someone has ripped off an artist for their complete works, it's not very likely that they are going to decide to legitimatly buy the album next time. If they like it, they'll download it for free again.
He didn't like any of these options, and he asked why buying a second hand copy on ebay is better than dowloading (he told me that he was currently downloading Meat's entire discography).
I told them there's a big diference between a cheap sample to see if it's for you, and ripping off an artists complete works.
He argued that the music business is a rip off, that record companies take too much profit from album sales.
I answered that I agreed with him, but it's not fair to deprive the artist of the small percentage they are due.
But still this wasn't good enough, he claimed that musicians should not make any money at all from album sales, that all music should be free, and that bands should only make money from concert tickets.
He claimed that for a singer to release an album 20 years ago, and then to still make money off it is like a plummber fixing a leaking tap and still charging for the job he did 20 years latter.
I pointed out that each customer only bought the product once.
At the end of the day, I still believe now what I believed before that argument (the guy was a mod too, so I kissed that forum goodbye).
There is no need to dowload music to sample a taste of an artists work.
There are enough ways to see if an artist is for you without breaking the law.
People like the asshole i've just been talking about are nothing but tightarsed b@stards who want to steal the product for nothing while trying to claim some moral high ground.
They want to be Robin Hood.
But Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor so the poor wouldn't starve to death.
These guys want to steal from the artist to keep for themselves what they could very comfortably live without, and the money they save from not paying for these things go on other luxury items they could well do without.
There's a huge difference between stealing to feed people who would starve and stealing so you can save a few quid to spend on a Big Mac and a pir of trainees
People should vote with their feet.
If they like an artists work they should buy the artists work because then the revenue creates a higher possibility of more work from this artist in the future.
An artist that doesn't sell records is not likely to make another.