A serious question about music.

[aerohydra]

Hey Kids,

I'm doing a research paper and we got to pick our own topics, so i picked a topic about music, My question, and the point of this essay is to debate if downloading music helps or hinders the viability of a band in today's music scene. If you're in a band that's awesome and you can answer from personal experience but if you just have an opinion in the matter that's cool too. Thanks.

[viva la cymche!]

Hinders.

[summer skin]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/hermyspace/hermyspacesite/images/bands/rock/03-20-08update/hinder/hinder-1.jpg

[Burn That Shit]

If you're a huge megastar personality type of musician, it hinders sales. If you're on the lower end of sales, your sales probably increased from ease of consumption.

[llwilliamsll]

Lars here from Metallica. I once was misguided into thinking that downloading music was wrong. I had every right to. My band was way off the map and the money wasn't coming in. On top of that, the downloading of MY music? I was going through a time promiscuous sex with STD whores, a whole bunch of drugs, and alcohol. I spent a span of a year without playing drums. None the less, what I wanted to say is that I realized I was wrong. There seems to be no way to fight the cause of downloading music so I have decided to bend over and let it rape me in the ass. Downloading isn't all that bad. As a matter of fact, it may help out small bands. It may hinder a band's viability but there are ways around it such as pressing CD's with bonus material or the ever so great Vinyl. People love that shit these days. So there are ways for bands to get through this. Douche ass.

You can definitely quote me for your paper.

Love,

Lars

[mattmatumbo]

some bands (like portugal. the man and thursday) actually endorse free downloading of music. for instance i saw thursday and they said "you guys have been good to us over the years, go download our albums, our treat" or like portugal who allows the download of their new cd on their website for free. the "underground" bands get their money from touring and selling merch and such. or so i hear

[PoisonInMyVeins]

there are so many old threads on this, i'm pretty sure. search.

[Apoc]

The internet makes anyone able to download anything, anytime. And some websites are wholly dedicated to getting new music out there and exposing people to interesting stuff. So what you get is more exposure to more bands in general; although this means some bands get drowned as overexposure leads people to miss some of the lesser-promoted bands, it's just as likely that without the internet they wouldn't really get out there anyway.

Those who are really dedicated to music will go out and buy a good album after downloading it anyway to support the artist; the people who don't really care about music wouldn't have bought the album anyway if they couldn't get it for free online. So the net result is probably that more bands get out there, more records get sold for smaller bands and they're more able to get on their feet. And for big bands like Metallica, if nobody buys their new album who really cares? Do they need a few more million dollars in their pocket that much anyway?

[Hey Kevin]

no one wants to download my bands music

[Apoc]

either promote it better, or make better music

[Hey Kevin]

just a joke.

i could care less if people download my own music cause most people (especially into punk) are into the live experience. as long as the music circulates and people like it, im happy.

[pisspants]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k26/hermyspace/hermyspacesite/images/bands/rock/03-20-08update/hinder/hinder-1.jpg


Haha, Nice pun. ditto.

[summer skin]

I think it's good for music, bad for hinder.