Is downloading music wrong?

Tek7 (Legacy)

Tek7 (Legacy)

CGA & ToJ President
Many Christians agree that downloading music is wrong, but why is it wrong? If you listen to a song on an Internet or FM radio station but tune out before the ads come on, how is that different from downloading a song and listening to it?

As with my post concerning software piracy, I'm not advocating illegal activities of any kind. I'd like to start a civil discussion on downloading music, if it is wrong, and, if it is, why. Many people ask questions similar to the one above; I believe we should discuss the matter so we have answers to give when asked.
 
There's no point to illegal dl of music now. Before I used to dl because I didn't want to pay for the whole cd if I on;y wanted a few songs. But now u pop on itunes and pick what songs u want from the cd and your fine. Also before when buying music from the internet u had to have a credit card, now for teens who don't have one u can just pop in to best buy or future shop and buy a 25$ or 50$ card.

But growing up I used to record music from the radio and mony people did it and it wasn't a big deal, they were just singles. But for some reason now people are making a big deal about it. The same people complaining about it were probobly recording music from tapes or radio when they were growing up.
I won't stop anyone's hustle, but its not that expencive to dl it legally now.
 
Speaking of iTunes, there is a program called JHymn, that you can convert those protected files into unprotected. I use it so i can put it on my mp3 player, i pay for the songs so i should be able to use it fully, like i just bought the cd.
 
I believe it depends on what how you downloaded the song(s). If you purchased them from an outlet such as iTunes or MSN Music, then there isn't a problem. The artist and evil record companies receive a small amount of money for that purchase. If you're acquiring the music without purchasing it, and without the artist's consent, then it's clearly stealing.

With a radio station, you have no control over when you get to listen to the song. When you hear the song is at the Radio Station's discretion. When you download a song (without paying for it), you can listen to it when you want, as many times as you want, and you can even transfer it to other mediums (CD, MP3 Players) to listen to it outside of your computer.
 
Is downloading music wrong?
Click to expand...

What is the difference with downloading like; Celine Dion songs, over Counter-Strike songs(U heard me!)? OR Sting's songs, over...Half-Life Bloopers?

IS it illegal for me to have songs such as:

Perfect Dark - Multiplayer Remix
Gundam Wing - Just Communication (The cartoon intro)
Lost Woods Techno

THAN

...than songs you would listen from movies, radios, TVs, etc?
 
I need that Jhymm program, got that Amerie cd but it plays using its own software and when I used the software to create files to use on my ipod it only let me create windows audio files. And when I tried to put it into Itunes I tunes couldn't convert it since it was right protected.
I guess its a new way for record companies to protect music, but as u said when I pay for music I have the right to use it any way I want and not loose hair trying different ways to get it on my Ipod.


Its illegal to have any songs that u don't own. Unless the songs are free, from the artist its wrong. When u dl remixes (which I used to do alot off) u have to own all the music put into that remix. So like in hip hop mixes they would have about 5 or 6 songs split apart and but together, u should own the original of all those songs.

And since we're talking about music dl, what about artists who purpously leak their music to get more buzz around them. 50 cents used to create mix tapes and leak them to the net, he used ollegal dl to get people to listen to him when he wasn't signed to get people talking. And now adays many artists will put songs on the their website for a few days just to find out what the fans think. U can dl the song, but then in a few months when it comes out on cd do u have to go buy the song or delete the file.
 
yeah, go to, www.hymn-project.org and d/l it. I trade music in MSN, i guess thats the same, but, some of it is like stuff like Relient K vs Toby mac (rare song). And then some of it is stuff people are trying to sale, i guess its wrong.
 
My rule is this: downloading copyrighted music, without paying the copyright owner, and without the copyright owner's permission, is wrong, if the music has been released in a form you can purchase. I have no problems downloading the soundtrack to Wipeout Pure since I own the game and the soundtrack isn't going to be released. Once it is released, I will either buy the CD or delete the files (buy the CD).
 
What about going to their website. I did this once, Thousand foot krutch new cd "The art of breaking", loaded up thier site, went to the music section. Hit play on the song that streams on the net, went to my opera cache folder, and found the flash file, copied to my music folder, renamed the song and played in winamp?

Of course i bought the cd the next day. And the music files from the site were flash files, which could be sound recorded to wma or mp3.

I dont see how that is wrong, they techincally made thier songs (7 out of 11 on the cd) public and freeware when they did that.
 
Yeh, i dont believe thats wrong there, if they have it on their site, i only think its wrong when the people are trying to sell their music, and people are d/l it free just cus they dont want to spend some very little money to get a song. Cus, that is just stealing from the bands.
 
Technically you are correct, they did make it publically available. However I think that most bands that make their songs listenable in flash files instead of as .mp3s, do so because they intend for you to be able to listen to it, but not save it. Sure, they *should* be streaming it, but still... That's a grey area. I'm glad you bought their CD.
 
Oh yeah, i fully intended to buy the cd before i did that. I just wanted to listen to thier music without a webpage up and have it play list through, instead of manual advance they had on thier site.
 
Yeah, I love to outsmart the system like that. Anyway, I don't download songs often, just when they're either an incredibly rare CD that I'm completely unable to find for purchase anywhere on the net or when I just want to hear a couple of songs off a CD that a band hasn't put any samples out for.
 
I think it is a matter of respect for the artist and their creativity (yes, even country music artists) I can't imagine walking up to a booth at an art fair, finding one specific print that I like a lot and taking it home to see if it will match the decor of the room.

How is downloading music (that is not freely offered) different?

Gen
 
How is downloading music that is not freely offered to see what the artist sounds like different from downloading music that is freely offered to sample the artist's sound? They both accomplish the same purpose.
 
Unless the CD you're buying gets a lot of radio play (and since I'm an electronica-head, nothing I buy is ever on the radio), you likely won't know what a new artist sounds like when you buy their CD. To turn the question around a bit, would you buy a painting you had never seen?

If you're into niche music it's very hard to find new artists you like because of this very reason. That's what attracted me to downloading in the first place. Now that I don't download anymore I solve that problem with internet radio sites like bassdrive.com, destroyer.net, and idealsound.ca.
 
I respect Switchfoot a LOT. Yet, I just downloaded their unreleased upcoming album on bittorent. Why? I like them a lot, and want to listen to the cd before I buy it. I will be buying it anyway, but this allows me to listen to it before it's released, and make my friends buy it too. :) Of course, I will be erasing it as the cd is released.
 
Pilgrim said:
I respect Switchfoot a LOT. Yet, I just downloaded their unreleased upcoming album on bittorent. Why? I like them a lot, and want to listen to the cd before I buy it. I will be buying it anyway, but this allows me to listen to it before it's released, and make my friends buy it too. :) Of course, I will be erasing it as the cd is released.
Click to expand...
Yikes.

Besides that it's illegal and all, how is the album? :D
 
Pilgrim said:
I respect Switchfoot a LOT. Yet, I just downloaded their unreleased upcoming album on bittorent. Why? I like them a lot, and want to listen to the cd before I buy it. I will be buying it anyway
Click to expand...
In the past I have done this alot, not recently though. Like I said in the piracy thread, I'm a sucker for getting ahlold of things before other people can.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top