Why do you steal music? Everyone has their own answer, one that will hopefully convince people they aren’t common thieves. Some of them range from “I don’t really see it as stealing” to “Those musicians are millionaires already! They won’t mind if I forget to pay for a few songs.”
First of all, just because you’ll probably get away with it doesn’t make it legal. And to the second response, yeah, the millionaire musicians out there probably won’t lose sleep if you download their album illegally instead of buying it.
But I can probably name a few people that will.
Amateur musicians are in trouble. It’s true that piracy can be good for business for big-time artists, such as Radiohead, The Game, and Animal Collective. Labels themselves have leaked partial albums to give the public a taste of what’s to come, counting on listeners to run out to buy the full thing once the whole album comes out.
But this method doesn’t work for new bands. The Recording Industry Association of America states on their Web site, “We do know that the pirate marketplace currently far dwarfs the legal marketplace, and when that happens, that means investment in new music is compromised.”
Record labels have been increasingly hesitant to sign up-and-comers for the fear that people will only steal their music because of their unfamiliarity, according to the RIAA. This has had a long and dramatic effect on new music, and hinders talented individuals looking to get a fair opportunity.
The music industry, as a whole, has also seen better days. Record labels across the board are losing money through the digitization of their albums.
According to an analysis by the Institute for Policy Innovation, music piracy causes 12.5 billion dollars of economic loss annually, and there have already been over 71,000 jobs lost in the U.S. alone as a result of illegally downloading music.
Besides the “millionaire musicians” you see on the covers, there are numerous people who work to make the album exist, ranging from engineers, label and advertising executives, and guest musicians and songwriters. They’re not too rich to care, and they’re losing their jobs as a result of piracy.
Record stores are feeling the pressure from piracy too. Does anyone remember Tower Records or Sam Goody? Probably not, seeing as nobody bought much of their merchandise, resulting in closure for Tower Records, and minimization for Sam Goody (now suffering under the name FYE).
Thousands of record stores across the country have closed shop since 2003, which gives a stronger need for digitization from the record companies — which has led to more piracy. It’s turning in to a suffocating circle.
Whatever the reason, downloading pirated music is still stealing. Whether it comes to the economy, business integrity, job losses, new musicians, or music in general, it’s always best to do the honest thing and get your music the old-fashioned way. That way, everybody wins.
Confess to Dante why you steal at dante.graves@asu.edu
