Do you pay for your music?

[Apple]

Do you in any way at all pay for your music? Whether it is through itunes or buying CD's that you put on your pc. I'm gonna be honest here, I have never bought any music in my life. I have around 2k songs, mainly at 320kbps and always download the latest. Artists are way overpaid in my opinion anyway.

[Special]

no lol i either download or torrent

[AgnesIO]

Do you in any way at all pay for your music? Whether it is through itunes or buying CD's that you put on your pc. I'm gonna be honest here, I have never bought any music in my life. I have around 2k songs, mainly at 320kbps and always download the latest. Artists are way overpaid in my opinion anyway.


I pay for some. If I download an album of a band I did not know were good, I will probably buy their next. But I have spotify now so I don't really.

Also the thing about artists being paid too much is a lame excuse. They only get paid because people buy their stuff. If you could be as talented as them, I would love to see you say 'Don't bother buying my stuff, download illegally'.

On the other hand, I do really appreciate your honesty. Also I do see why young people download music illegally - they cannot afford to pay for all the CD's.

[:odey:]

I think CD's are WAY overpriced, which is why people do download illegally...
I buy most of my music from itunes, but, I hardly EVER buy the whole album,
Just songs i've heard, or know :)

[Apple]

I pay for some. If I download an album of a band I did not know were good, I will probably buy their next. But I have spotify now so I don't really.

Also the thing about artists being paid too much is a lame excuse. They only get paid because people buy their stuff. If you could be as talented as them, I would love to see you say 'Don't bother buying my stuff, download illegally'.

On the other hand, I do really appreciate your honesty. Also I do see why young people download music illegally - they cannot afford to pay for all the CD's.

I understand the logic behind saying "if everyone downloaded their music illegally we wouldn't have any artists" or whatever but there are thousands/milions of people who detest the idea of downloading music illegally so as long as they stay around artists get paid plenty of money. I do actually buy music from newcomers who I would like to see make it big. I bought N-Dubz Uncle B and I also bought Roll Deep's CD. Not with my own money, with vouchers. As I said I am proud to say that I have never paid for any music, vouchers don't count. :P Massive artists such as Eminem are well into their career and have already made it big. Most of my music is from the 90's so paying for it just seems pointless. And you are right about the cash, call it an average of 70p per song on itunes and I have over 2000 songs...

[AgnesIO]

I think CD's are WAY overpriced, which is why people do download illegally...
I buy most of my music from itunes, but, I hardly EVER buy the whole album,
Just songs i've heard, or know :)

CD's are not at all over priced. I would like to see you make some of the stuff that gets released.

---------- Post added 20-09-2010 at 10:02 PM ----------


I think CD's are WAY overpriced, which is why people do download illegally...
I buy most of my music from itunes, but, I hardly EVER buy the whole album,
Just songs i've heard, or know :)

CD's are not at all over priced. I would like to see you make some of the stuff that gets released.

[Jahova]

I buy Vinyl records of the tracks and then illegally download the MP3 web version. I personally think I'm not doing any harm by doing this.

[emotional]

I pay for every single track I download using iTunes.

[qaxzsw]

I don't really have an extensive song list, but I could list all the albums I have bought, which isn't really much.

- Ten by Gabriella Cilmi
- Lessons to be learned by Gabriella Cilmi
- Demon Days by Gorrilaz
- Elephunk by Black Eyed Peas
- Quite a few of the 'now' CDs (from when I was like 8)

I listen to most my music on youtube, but if there is a song I want, I will usually just download it. I have an iPod Touch which I orignally got to use for the internet and apps, but I am going to be putting a lot of songs on there, so I imagine I will be downloading illegally - except for artists who I really support and like the majority of their songs - I will most likley get the albums.

[Alkaz]

I almost always download everything illegally. When Joe McElderrys song was released I had it on itunes within about 5 minutes of hearing it and the same goes for most new songs I like. The only artist that I actually go out any buy the physical CD is The Saturdays because they're just fab.

[Meanies]

i use spotify and pay for the premium subscription, does that count?

[crazed]

I'll download like a selection of songs from a certian band if I've never heard of them and if I like them all then I'll buy the cds. Always the same.

[samsaBEAR]

CDs aren't overpriced, I just personally do not see the point in buying a CD that'll see the light of day once for about 10 seconds when I put the disc into my computer to burn, and then back into the case. I'd rather get a t-shirt or go see them live.

[RandomManJay]

I usually do buy my songs on CD format and off iTunes. I also do download it as well, its seems like some of my musical interests aren't available within the UK, or anywhere via purchase :(. If I'm trying to see if I like a band, I usually go on YouTube and find their songs on there, or download a couple and see if I like them before buying the CD.

[HotelUser]

I pay to use the paid version of GrooveShark as so I can get the desktop and Android application however I'm not sure the means of which they obtain music is necessarily legal :P

[Zak]

Don't think many people pay for music nowadays, personally I grab the video link off youtube then convert to mp3 via a website on the internet. Brilliant quality.. love it!

[Plebings]

CDs when I want something
vinyl when I hype something up inside myself and count down the days.

I like to have the physical format, and I'm ok with d/l, I'm not happy about leaking though.
You wouldn't open a Christmas present early would you???

[marriott0.01]

i use spotify and pay for the premium subscription, does that count?

I do exactly the same :D



I pay to use the paid version of GrooveShark as so I can get the desktop and Android application however I'm not sure the means of which they obtain music is necessarily legal :P

And yeah they do obtain their music legally so it counts as getting it legally.

[Nikki]

I mostly listen to music on spotify now, but 70% of my music is downloaded, then my dad buys me the odd cd if really like the band/artist, and then and i buy charity songs on itunes, because i would feel bad if i didn't!

[Sharon]

No.. ever.

[Storking]

I illegally download all my songs/albums from the pirate bay, if it's there and free then why would you really want to go and spend £10 on a cd.. :)

The only album i've bought is GaGa's fame monster because I thought it was really good and wanted to feel like I was helping to boost her cd sales.. lol

[Apple]

I illegally download all my songs/albums from the pirate bay, if it's there and free then why would you really want to go and spend £10 on a cd.. :)

The only album i've bought is GaGa's fame monster because I thought it was really good and wanted to feel like I was helping to boost her cd sales.. lol

Yeh I think a lot of people must download songs they are unsure about for free and if they decide they really like the artist they might in future buy their odd album to support them.

[peteyt]

I don't agree with the idea that CD's are expensive, Its just downloading is cheaper ha.

Think of it this way, you offer something to someone for £10 - £20 and free, there obviously going to go for the free one. A lot of these subscription services for music and films have been set up to prevent people illegaly downloading files, because they think that people just want it digitally and thats why they download. What they seem to fail to realise is they simply download it because its free and if thats the case, they aren't going to use a paid service to obtain it.

I occasionaly download, but used to quite a lot. I do have quite a few CD's as usually I'll download tracks and end up buying the albums if they are that good. I know you can say they get paid a lot, but its there job. How would you like it if you lost money from your job - e.g. someone stole from a shop you worked in - it is the same principle.

People tell me there fans of bands and stuff - for example my dad - all the bands he apparently loves so much, he just downloads their stuff. I think if you like them that much, then you might as well show your appreciation for them and at least buy their music. If everyone decided to download illegally they'd think no one liked them anymore and thus would end up splitting.

What does also quite annoy me is people who complain about people who illegally download films but download TV shows and claim its different - e.g. the network pays for it and stuff. These people don't seem to realise if everyone just downloads it - as a lot of them download it instead of watching it online - sales and also viewing figures decline and could ultimatley lead to cancellation.

P.S. forgot to add im signed up to a legal music service i pay for my web station giving us 20 new uk and 20 new us tracks a week.

[KyoraStryker]

Always paid for my music.

Before the age of mp3 players, I'd buy CDs from artists that I liked. When mp3 players got huge, I started leaning towards iTunes. A buck per song/ten bucks per album (if you bought the whole thing) was a fair price for me.

[Andeeh]

i buy music which i think deserves to be brought.

[Plebings]

recently one of my favourite bands Grammatics split up due to bankruptcy, this is obviously due to downloading and leaks.

Please don't take the next bit too seriously, I reread it and look like a pretentious ****** - however it is important to me.

It pains me how so many people claim 'music is my life' while putting no money into the industry, sure there are legal ways of listening to music, eg spotify, however it takes 10,000,000 listens of one song to earn the UK minimum wage salary.

I'm glad that live music has become much more public friendly and that was and still is the main income for acts.

This will never end and bands I like shall keep splitting up
until I die.

[AgnesIO]

i buy music which i think deserves to be brought.

So all music?

I mean if you like music enough to listen to it, surely that means you should buy it.

[peteyt]

Not nessessary - I listen to stuff e.g. youtube new stuff and might find out i like it might find out its okayish but doesn't mean i'll buy

[Andeeh]

So all music?

I mean if you like music enough to listen to it, surely that means you should buy it.
No but mostly now i have started buying more then downloading, I buy music from artists not mainstream as I think they have made a good enough job for me to pay my own money for.

[samsaBEAR]

recently one of my favourite bands Grammatics split up due to bankruptcy, this is obviously due to downloading and leaks.

Please don't take the next bit too seriously, I reread it and look like a pretentious ****** - however it is important to me.

It pains me how so many people claim 'music is my life' while putting no money into the industry, sure there are legal ways of listening to music, eg spotify, however it takes 10,000,000 listens of one song to earn the UK minimum wage salary.

I'm glad that live music has become much more public friendly and that was and still is the main income for acts.

This will never end and bands I like shall keep splitting up
until I die.
You can't blame it on downloading and stuff. Maybe they just weren't popular enough to keep going? Let's be honest, music is better off without any band that splits up just because they're bankrupt. It should always be about the music rather than money.

[AgnesIO]

You can't blame it on downloading and stuff. Maybe they just weren't popular enough to keep going? Let's be honest, music is better off without any band that splits up just because they're bankrupt. It should always be about the music rather than money.

But it costs thousands to produce CD's..

[samsaBEAR]

But it costs thousands to produce CD's..
No it doesn't. I have tons of friends in bands, and they record/mix/produce their own EPs and stuff, and they're all living off EMA and Tesco salaries, hardly thousands of pounds

[Moh]

If you can download it illegally, I will :)

[lTraditional]

I just buy the CD and upload it to my computer otherwise I listen to Spotify or Youtube for music!

[AgnesIO]

No it doesn't. I have tons of friends in bands, and they record/mix/produce their own EPs and stuff, and they're all living off EMA and Tesco salaries, hardly thousands of pounds

Going to a good recording studio (not some crap that a minor unknown band uses) costs thousands.

[Chris]

All of my music is illegal but ever since spotify came out thats all ive used. :D

[samsaBEAR]

Going to a good recording studio (not some crap that a minor unknown band uses) costs thousands.
Music isn't all about mainstream artists bro. I've heard plenty of albums that sound awesome without having gone to a 'good', expensive studio

[AgnesIO]

Music isn't all about mainstream artists bro. I've heard plenty of albums that sound awesome without having gone to a 'good', expensive studio

A top quality CD requires quality equipment.

A bit like if you buy a 'Fender American Stratocaster' or a 'Fender Squire Stratocaster', the real Strat will always sound SO much better - you are paying £700 more for the quality.

[Plebings]

You can't blame it on downloading and stuff. Maybe they just weren't popular enough to keep going? Let's be honest, music is better off without any band that splits up just because they're bankrupt. It should always be about the music rather than money.

This has caused inevitable pressures to the point where members said 'This is impossible, I have no money to live and no time to get a job'. If it wasn't for the efforts of people like Pete Flinton (our sound engineer and tour manager who has helped us plan ways out of some really bad financial situations) things could have been a lot worse and we could have had our possessions/gear repossessed by a collections agency

interview with grammatics. you can still argue your point, but i'll stick by mine

[RedStratocas]

usually the only albums i buy are ones ive illegally downloaded then loved enough to pay for physically. i probably have somewhere between $700-$1000 worth of physical music, probably about 200 or so CDs and a handful of vinyl. i never ever buy albums off of itunes, and ive never understand how people do. one song makes sense, but why would you pay $12 for an album digitally when you can buy the physical album for the exact same price and have it both on your computer and physically? it makes no sense. itunes is absurdly overpriced. it costs them exactly $0.00 to send you the music, so that $12 is pure profit. id download music from itunes if it was reasonably priced, like 10 cents a song or something. i doubt thatll happen though.

honestly i dont feel bad about illegally downloading at all. artists make all their money at concerts. the majority of record sales go to middle men who dont really do anything and most of whom dont care about music.

[Jahova]

But it costs thousands to produce CD's..
That's where you're wrong. It really doesn't cost much to do a run of mass produced CD's.

Going to a good recording studio (not some crap that a minor unknown band uses) costs thousands.
There are plenty of basic recording studios with limited features that are just as good as the bigger ones. As long as they have good recording equipment and can perform a decent mixdown on the tracks then everything is fine.

[samsaBEAR]

That's where you're wrong. It really doesn't cost much to do a run of mass produced CD's.

There are plenty of basic recording studios with limited features that are just as good as the bigger ones. As long as they have good recording equipment and can perform a decent mixdown on the tracks then everything is fine.
Exactly, money doesn't make a record studio, experience does.

[AgnesIO]

Oh yeah sorry. I forgot the top artists go to more expensive places just to look cool.

[peteyt]

They go to them because they can afford them.

But new bands aren't going to be able to afford the best of everything. But as mentioned its not the equipment but how its used, who uses it etc.

[AgnesIO]

They go to them because they can afford them.

But new bands aren't going to be able to afford the best of everything. But as mentioned its not the equipment but how its used, who uses it etc.

The equipment plays a major part. It doesn't take a genius to know that..

Look at a real Fender Stratocaster, or a Squire Strat. What sounds better?

Look at a £800 microphone to a £50 microphone. Things don't cost more just because they feel like charging more.

[Dannnny,]

Yeah all of it.

[SarahVictoriaaa]

Yeahhh man :) x

[peteyt]

The equipment plays a major part. It doesn't take a genius to know that..

Look at a real Fender Stratocaster, or a Squire Strat. What sounds better?

Look at a £800 microphone to a £50 microphone. Things don't cost more just because they feel like charging more.

But some albums are made cheaper than others. It's like a film, there have been really cheap films made with cheap equipment and they have made more than the expensive ones.

[Plebings]

If they have enough money for expensive equipment and production they'll have enough for expensive advertising, and let's face it advertising is the deciding factor on popularity

[Wig44.]

I always download illegally, itunes quality makes me want to cry sometimes, I always get .FLACs if I can, CD or preferably Vinyl rips. If itunes sold better quality audio I'd entertain the thought of buying it from them but right now I can get much higher quality for free by torrenting so that's what I do.

[Rozi]

I use spotify, and if I find an album I REALLY love I'll go out and buy it on CD. My computer came with loads of free napster downloads too which was cool. Sometimes I download from youtube as well.

[Apple]

I use spotify, and if I find an album I REALLY love I'll go out and buy it on CD. My computer came with loads of free napster downloads too which was cool. Sometimes I download from youtube as well.

I dislike the youtube to MP3 converters, the poor sound quality ruins the song. Now I always try to find 320kbps versions of songs when I download.

[samsaBEAR]

I think people download from Youtube to try and convince themselves that it's not as illegal. You might as well just find it in a blogspot or torrent or whatever, if you're going to download, why settle for ****** quality?

[Pyroka]

I use Spotify, but for albums that I can't get on Spotify I download illegally. I buy the odd single on iTunes too.

[beth]

the only band i pay for are johnny foreigner and that's because they deserve my money, but also because they go about their money making in an honest way. for example, they've recentely had their record label not pay them for a tour, so they sent emails out to the fans about a garage sale sort of thing, where the band have sold off personal/memorial stuff. and not at stupid prices.
they're a real band and they ACCEPT downloading happens, they aren't happy about it, but they get on with it. and that's why i pay for them.

i've bought a couple of albums from los campesinos! too. but no-one else is worth my money.

and lol at people ripping from youtube, does the quality not make yr ears bleed?

[Becca]

no, i always use spotify but if i'm like using sam or something i just use songs off my dad

[peteyt]

I usually only rip from youtube if its a new release - there are tracks that sometimes don't appear anywhere else for a long time

[ChickenFaces]

i get my songs... Itunes is lame. That's all I gotta say :)