Illegal and Legal Downloads - Damaging The Music Industry

Over the last few years, music downloads have become a world-wide phenomenon.

Consumers everywhere have embraced this cheap, portable and compact system, so convenient that you can buy music instantly without having to leave your home.

However there is a dark side to downloading. The illegal side.

Illegal downloads are a growing issue for the music industry.

People seem happy to download music for free, yet most would never consider stealing a CD from a shop, even though the two are essentially the same thing.

But why is it that we have such a different attitude to downloading?

I spoke to Jonathan 'Diesler' Radford about his feelings about the impact on the industry.

Diesler's first release Cotton Wool, written when he was only 20, found its way onto Radio 1 and further commercial success has followed.

Currently he is touring festivals all over the world as are the live 8 piece band 'Diesler Live Experience.'

Beanzine: Why do you think people choose to illegally download music?

Diesler: Not too sure. In an anarchic way you could see it as people wanting a product for what it is minus all the packaging and hype. In all honesty though it's a classic case of 'if people can get away with it then they will'! Limewire and Soulseek will never get shutdown in the way Napster & Audiogalaxy did back when mp3s were classed as evil. The people behind it are savvy to how it works. They just set up peer to peer programmes; it's not their fault what people share... Now people can make money out of mp3s they aren't as 'damaging to the industry' as they were 5 years ago. Funny that.

BZ: Are illegal downloads damaging the music industry? If this trend continues will it be harder for artists to make a living from music?

D: Both legal and illegal downloads are damaging the possibility of whether people can make a living from music, although I would have to say most artists, if they had any sense, would have other streams of income rather than just sales. Even in 2000 for example an artist would expect to sell a single, EP or LP on either CD or vinyl as a complete piece of work and not have it cherry picked track by track for 79p. It does undermine the craft and make it harder for people to appreciate 'the artist' and their piece of work as a job.

BZ: What is your personal opinion on music downloads? Do you think they're a good or a bad thing? Are they a useful tool to artists and DJs like you?

The fact is if artists can't make money from their music, they'll stop making it.

Kirsty Birkett-Stubbs

D: Well like it or not I have to embrace downloads and the fact that in the coming future they, and whatever other new technology is created, will be the ways in which people absorb their music. As a DJ I get sent a lot of music via mp3 from labels and artists and play them both on my podcast and in clubs. With costs mounting for labels and their bread and butter physical sales dropping and mp3s growing it makes sense to back mp3. If it's good enough for the punters then it's good enough for DJs.

BZ: Do you see traditional media like CDs disappearing altogether as download sales increase?

D: No not yet. Don't forget that in independent music most fans are still after the hard copy of an album. I think downloads are a bigger threat to big major label music. Coldplay releasing their new single for free is a better advert for their album than just a standard release of a single would be. Labels are getting savvy to people's attitudes now and playing off them. But when major labels give something away it is never totally for free. For the Coldplay download you had to register & then download within the space of a few hours. I am sure those people will be peppered with Coldplay/EMI spam for sometime after. They have let their fans do all the hype and distribution too.

BZ: Do you worry about the way downloads may affect you as an artist?

D: As an artist I need to stick firm to making music that stands the test of time. There's not a great deal we can do in the independent scene and just really have to go with what formats the big labels back. As a result indie labels need to sit tight and support the idea of 'the album' more than ever. A career is based on playing the long ball game, whereas an overnight success can come and go just as fast.

The fact is if artists can't make money from their music, they'll stop making it.

Illegal downloads also push up CD prices as a way of re-cooperating losses from downloads.

These high prices are one of the main reasons cited by consumers for illegally downloading showing what a vicious cycle has been created.

Support the artist: Legally Download.