By: Bryan Freeman
Many of us have
used the internet as a resource for downloading various forms of
media. It is an incredible tool which allows for consumers to collect
these items for both leisure and work. In order to gain access to
downloadable items, consumers are required to purchase them from
licensed sellers. However, consumers have figured out ways to
download materials from the internet through the use of file-sharing
websites and other resources. One of the items most commonly
downloaded from file-sharing web pages is music. Because of the high
demand for music in the marketplace, consumers have resorted to
pirating music in order to acquire it free of charge. While this
action may appear to be harmless, habitual pirating by a large group
of consumers could present a number of threats to the music industry,
the economy, and the consumers themselves.
It is very common for websites that
conduct file-sharing to act as a breeding ground for computer
viruses. This is due to the high amount of unfiltered sharing among
networks. If a computer comes into contact with a virus, the user
must often spend money in order to fully restore the system. In
addition, if the producers of music view it as an art form that is no
longer producing a profit, then the amount of effort put into
creating music will be reduced and the quality will decrease. This
can also lead to dissatisfaction from the consumer. In addition to
this, as free downloads persist; the revenue streams from the
production of music are greatly reduced. This makes it difficult for
producers to invest in new talent, technology, and musicians in order
perform at a high level. This leads to a highly commercialized form
of producing music which is designed to sell products rather than to
allow for musical expression. Finally, not paying for these goods and
items reduces the amount of funds that has the potential to be taxed
and reinvested in the community.
It is up to each
consumer to decide whether to purchase music or to download it free
of charge. As we make these choices, let us always be conscious to
keep in mind the potential costs of our actions. Below are additional
resources further discussing this topic:
Resources:
In today's society people would rather get things for free than to pay for them. Many people choose to illegally download music for the simple fact that they don't have to go to the stores and pay the full price. In one of the videos posted it said that people thought many stores where selling CDs for to much money. Selling the CDs for expensive prices, causes people to download the music free of charge. People don't realize that illegally downloading music has a negative effect on the producers as well as the artists. As the article states not paying for goods and items reduces the amount of funds that has the potential to be taxed and reinvested into the community.
ReplyDeleteI prefer downloading music as opposed to buying music for multiple reasons. My two main reasons are that its free to do so and I'd rather download a couple of songs of an album I like instead of buying the whole album
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of the argument. The artist loses revenue and investment opportunities which can hinder the quality and quantity of the upcoming projects. From the consumer point of view, maybe they want to see if the music is worth the cost. I have downloaded some albums that were not worth the asking price therefore I see it as a sample. This is a good heads up for many people to consider when downloading music.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post! I do believe we live in a world where people have become used to getting music for free! The question is how do we get them to pay for music again, and how can artists be compensated for their work? I feel that there is no easy answer to this question, and no can really claim to provide any insights, but I think a key piece to figuring out the answer would be to embrace the advancements of technology to help solve the issue.
ReplyDeleteIt has become so common nowadays to download music for free that most people do not really consider the consequences. I defintitely agree that piracy takes away income from artists which affects the quality of music that is produced and released to the public. The music industry must find new ways to get the public to purchase the music as opposed to downloading it for free. Perhaps, it may need to lower its prices.
ReplyDeleteI will never pay for anything related to music, tv shows, and movies again. With the technology that we all have access to, allows all of us todo this freely and legally but most dont know how to take full advantage of streaming and downloading without subscribing or one time payments nothing. just straight up free. with all that being said im surprised that the movie theater is around still and people are still buying dvds and bluerays etc. I think that people will come up on this there will be a dramatic change in the way media is distributed.
ReplyDelete