The good and bad of p2p file-sharing, and why you should buy CDs
Samuel Van Eerden
December 19, 2006
Several months ago I wrote an article called "Alternatives to p2p file-sharing." In it, I listed many legal ways that music lovers can listen to the tunes they love without paying for them. An article of that sort is really never complete; theinternet keeps finding new ways to make the music industry public domain, and more and more artists are finding ways to ride this roller coaster by adapting to their fans' downloading habits in order to still keep them faithful. That article was one of the most popular pieces I'd written for American Chronicle, and elicited tons of feedback. People on both sides of the issue either complimented the alternatives I'd listed, or criticized them as being insufficient to their needs.
I understand both views, and may perhaps sound a bit radical to the first group when I say that--far from being the death of the music industry--online file-sharing (yes, piracy) has, in many ways, breathed life into that industry. Contrary to popular opinion, high download rates do not equal a decline in CD sales. The original peer-to-peer software program--Napster--proved this when it went public in 1999. Despite being immensely popular, Napster did not kill CD sales. Far from it. Actually, '99 and 2000 were both record years for the music industry in terms of album sales; it was not until 2002 that the behemoth started to crumble. Studies have also proven that CD sales of any particular album rise and fall on a percentage that is almost parallel to that album's varying success on the p2p networks. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense why this is so. Many music fans, unsatisfied with the 30-second clips on iTunes, download an entire song off of Limewire for free, and--if they like it--are much more likely to go out and buy the entire CD. This is, in fact, how many people go about buying music, according to polls.
File-sharing has also helped to transform a music industry that--pre-Napster--was not much more than a stick in the mud unwilling to try news things, and obstinately churning out CDs with little thought to the average music buyer's wishes. Although the RIAA is still fuddy-duddy in many respects, they've loosened up some, and adapted. Often against their will, of course, but changed, nonetheless. They are recognizing the wave of the future is not in traditional LP sales. iTunes has proven this.
So, why if I'm saying all this, am I taking a stand against file-sharing (as the title of this article indicates)? What's the point of establishing a premise that I'm going to eventually knock down, anyway? Well, I wanted to get the point across that file-sharing is often put in a very bad light. True, aspects of it are illegal, but it has also spearheaded the evolution (not the 'de-evolution') of the music world. Not only how and what people listen to, but how and what is produced. And I'm not de-legitimizing this premise that file-sharing has been--and can be--helpful, but I want to give a legitimate reason why people still should buy CDs at a typical record store.
With so many musical groups and artists out there, the industry is harder than ever to sift through, and harder and harder to "make it big" in. Sure the ability to get your music online for all to hear is easier than ever, but you're not the only one taking advantage of that ability. Millions of other people are as well, and they're all competing against you, and against each other. It's a cutthroat industry, and it's hard to survive in it.
In today's society, the number of CDs sold is still typically regarded as synonymous with the success of that artist. (There is a noticeable shift towards internet downloads replacing CD sales in terms of reflecting an artist's success, but we are by no means there yet.) People check Billboard magazine every week to see who's topping the chart, and which album just went platinum. These are ways we attribute success to an artist--the sales of his discs. The incentive of being the #1 best selling artist on any given week is akin to having the #1 movie at the box office: people notice it. The average music buyer doesn't dig deep to see who placed 190th on the weekly billboard chart, just like the typical movie-goer won't research to see what movie was 25th at the box office last weekend (in case you're interested, that movie was "Guadalupe"). No; if he's looking for a CD to purchase or a movie to go watch, he'll glance at the top 10 or so, with an emphasis on the top two or three.
This is why it is absolutely critical for a CD to place high on the charts right off the bat. If not, it usually takes an extremely strong grass roots effort to keep sales up.
Now maybe you're the music lover who gets all his stuff off Limewire or bittorrent, and you're wondering "why do I care about CD sales? That has nothing to do with me." But here's where it does. By effectively stealing an artist's music instead of supporting him by actually buying the CD, you're yanking the carpet out from under his feet. You're saying "thanks for the music," but you're not really serious.
I was reminded of how important it is to support your favorite artist by buying their CDs when I read a blog by my favorite group: Switchfoot (who has a new CD called "Oh! Gravity" coming out on the 26th). They wrote how thankful they were to the fans for keeping them together "all these years" (currently, about 10). And how do the fans keep them together? By buying their CDs in great numbers and boosting their albums up on the billboard chart; by requesting their songs to be played on local music stations; by spreading the word around to all their friends. A real fan is not just a taker, he is a giver, and he will show his support for the group and his gratefulness for their music by actually paying for it. This not only is his duty, but it is a tangible method of support, and a very real incentive for the band or artist to keep on making music. Which perhaps should be the most powerful motive behind why you buy CDs. Rip them to your computer after you buy them, but buy discs. That's one of the best ways to really 'back the band,' because then you're doing your part to put them on a chart that is read by millions of people who are likely to go "Wow! That's the #1 best-selling CD this week? Maybe I should go buy it..."
You are culturally aware if you understand that file-sharing has done a lot of good for the music industry, but you're ignorant if you don't believe that buying a CD is the best way to support a band, and therefore to encourage them to make more great music.
I understand both views, and may perhaps sound a bit radical to the first group when I say that--far from being the death of the music industry--online file-sharing (yes, piracy) has, in many ways, breathed life into that industry. Contrary to popular opinion, high download rates do not equal a decline in CD sales. The original peer-to-peer software program--Napster--proved this when it went public in 1999. Despite being immensely popular, Napster did not kill CD sales. Far from it. Actually, '99 and 2000 were both record years for the music industry in terms of album sales; it was not until 2002 that the behemoth started to crumble. Studies have also proven that CD sales of any particular album rise and fall on a percentage that is almost parallel to that album's varying success on the p2p networks. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense why this is so. Many music fans, unsatisfied with the 30-second clips on iTunes, download an entire song off of Limewire for free, and--if they like it--are much more likely to go out and buy the entire CD. This is, in fact, how many people go about buying music, according to polls.
File-sharing has also helped to transform a music industry that--pre-Napster--was not much more than a stick in the mud unwilling to try news things, and obstinately churning out CDs with little thought to the average music buyer's wishes. Although the RIAA is still fuddy-duddy in many respects, they've loosened up some, and adapted. Often against their will, of course, but changed, nonetheless. They are recognizing the wave of the future is not in traditional LP sales. iTunes has proven this.
So, why if I'm saying all this, am I taking a stand against file-sharing (as the title of this article indicates)? What's the point of establishing a premise that I'm going to eventually knock down, anyway? Well, I wanted to get the point across that file-sharing is often put in a very bad light. True, aspects of it are illegal, but it has also spearheaded the evolution (not the 'de-evolution') of the music world. Not only how and what people listen to, but how and what is produced. And I'm not de-legitimizing this premise that file-sharing has been--and can be--helpful, but I want to give a legitimate reason why people still should buy CDs at a typical record store.
With so many musical groups and artists out there, the industry is harder than ever to sift through, and harder and harder to "make it big" in. Sure the ability to get your music online for all to hear is easier than ever, but you're not the only one taking advantage of that ability. Millions of other people are as well, and they're all competing against you, and against each other. It's a cutthroat industry, and it's hard to survive in it.
In today's society, the number of CDs sold is still typically regarded as synonymous with the success of that artist. (There is a noticeable shift towards internet downloads replacing CD sales in terms of reflecting an artist's success, but we are by no means there yet.) People check Billboard magazine every week to see who's topping the chart, and which album just went platinum. These are ways we attribute success to an artist--the sales of his discs. The incentive of being the #1 best selling artist on any given week is akin to having the #1 movie at the box office: people notice it. The average music buyer doesn't dig deep to see who placed 190th on the weekly billboard chart, just like the typical movie-goer won't research to see what movie was 25th at the box office last weekend (in case you're interested, that movie was "Guadalupe"). No; if he's looking for a CD to purchase or a movie to go watch, he'll glance at the top 10 or so, with an emphasis on the top two or three.
This is why it is absolutely critical for a CD to place high on the charts right off the bat. If not, it usually takes an extremely strong grass roots effort to keep sales up.
Now maybe you're the music lover who gets all his stuff off Limewire or bittorrent, and you're wondering "why do I care about CD sales? That has nothing to do with me." But here's where it does. By effectively stealing an artist's music instead of supporting him by actually buying the CD, you're yanking the carpet out from under his feet. You're saying "thanks for the music," but you're not really serious.
I was reminded of how important it is to support your favorite artist by buying their CDs when I read a blog by my favorite group: Switchfoot (who has a new CD called "Oh! Gravity" coming out on the 26th). They wrote how thankful they were to the fans for keeping them together "all these years" (currently, about 10). And how do the fans keep them together? By buying their CDs in great numbers and boosting their albums up on the billboard chart; by requesting their songs to be played on local music stations; by spreading the word around to all their friends. A real fan is not just a taker, he is a giver, and he will show his support for the group and his gratefulness for their music by actually paying for it. This not only is his duty, but it is a tangible method of support, and a very real incentive for the band or artist to keep on making music. Which perhaps should be the most powerful motive behind why you buy CDs. Rip them to your computer after you buy them, but buy discs. That's one of the best ways to really 'back the band,' because then you're doing your part to put them on a chart that is read by millions of people who are likely to go "Wow! That's the #1 best-selling CD this week? Maybe I should go buy it..."
You are culturally aware if you understand that file-sharing has done a lot of good for the music industry, but you're ignorant if you don't believe that buying a CD is the best way to support a band, and therefore to encourage them to make more great music.
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