BAND: Music Piracy is Worse than Puberty

I know I'm not going to change any minds with this one, but stealing music, or ebooks, or any other information that you think "should be free," is just repulsive.

You believe that art should be accessible to everyone?

I have news for you: the patronage system went out of fashion some time ago, and without it, artists need to be able to make money from their products in order to keep MAKING products. I'm sure desk job Joe would love to believe that artists just can't help BUT create, that they make things out of the goodness of their hearts and the burning fire of their passion, but fire needs fuel, and utilities, unfortunately, aren't as easily found for free.

"But musicians can just tour to make money," you say, "and since I hear their music, I'm more likely to go to their shows."

Fair enough, but an average working musician's take from a concert is NOT high - the club has a minimum that has to be met, and driving cross country, even if you sleep in the van, costs. Not to mention that the product you're taking is not created by just a musician - there's a studio behind it, employing engineers, and technicians, and any number of other people, all of whom also have bills to pay and, given that they work hard to produce a product people want, deserve to be able to do so. Besides, I defy you to tell me that you've been to shows for every artist you've stolen songs from. Bullsh*t.

As for book stealing, I don't think there's a comparable argument to shoot down - last I heard book tours by authors who AREN'T Dan Brown don't cost any money to attend (or cost a nominal amount), and the only product the author has (and the agent, and editor, and publishing house behind him or her have) IS the book.

"But I'm sticking it to record companies. They're evil, and their practices are, like, ripoffs and inflationary and stuff."

This may have been true in 1987, when record companies still had power, but I have news for you: major labels are dissolving fast (due in no small part to rampant piracy). More importantly, though, your average artist who is having his or her songs stolen is on a small label that's barely got the money to pay for the creation of records, or possibly s/he is without label support, and finding ways to raise money for the record WITHOUT BACKING. Which means you're essentially stealing from someone's pocket.

Try as much as you like, you have no moral high ground here. Would you go up to someone who grows organic vegetables, or hand-knits artistic accessories, or paints murals, and just take what they spent hours and years working on without leaving a single cent?

Then why steal art?

-Posted by Jilly