Downloading Illegal Music - July 2002
By Kelly Embleton

Downloading music off the Internet is one of the most popular and controversial issues on the Internet today and probably will be for a long time. As technology improves, music is being downloaded and distributed over the Internet more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Most music downloaders do not realize the impact, effects and consequences of downloading illegal music from the Internet.

So what's legal and what's not legal? Well, most MP3 files found on the Web are legal, as they are posted by bands who want to get noticed, or by established artists promoting their material. What is not legal is unauthorized copies of music. This usually includes MP3s created from CDs that are posted online by people who have not obtained permission from the artist or record company to do so. Most music files downloaded and traded on Napster-type sites are illegal.

The main reason why people download music illegally is because it is available, fast and free. Some music downloaders believe that downloading illegal music off of Napster-type sites is not wrong and not stealing. A whole generation of music fans has been trained to think music should be free, and this creates the problem.

Downloading MP3s and other illegal music formats affects the music industry drastically. Millions of dollars are lost as a result of illegal music downloading and copying. The amount of albums shipped to retail outlets decrease and artists and record companies lose revenue.

Quick Facts

• It is estimated by the RIAA that 3.6 billion songs are illegally downloaded each month. The RIAA estimates that $4.5 billion (US) has been lost by the industry due to pirating. An estimated 60 million users were sharing 40 million songs illegally.
• The popularity of Napster led to a tidal wave of similar services. Some services have reached licensing agreements with record companies or restricted access so these music files can only be stored for personal use only.
• A few solutions have been made to stop the downloading of illegal music, such as: shutting down sites, applying royalty charges to MP3 players and also royalty charges on blank CD-Rs, CD-RWs, MiniDiscs and cassette tapes.
• Remember, from a CD you have purchased, you can create a copy of a CD or create MP3 files for your own personal use but you cannot give this copy to another person. If you give this copy away or sell it, you are in violation of copyright laws.

To learn more about protecting intellectual property rights of artists, the industry and more, visit the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) Web site at www.riaa.com.

Please consider the information above before you download illegal music off the Internet. Keep in mind that if you pirate music, you're basically stealing from artists' pockets, and you directly affect their ability to produce more of the music you like. Studio time isn't cheap...

Resources

• Vitaminic helps you discover new music groups who have chosen to put their music out on the Internet in MP3 format. The Vitaminic directory is compiled in order of musical genre and it gives you some information about the band or artist together with some links so that you can listen to their music. If you're a musician, BackStage is the area reserved for those who produce music and wish to transmit it and sell it online. Visit Vitaminic at www.vitaminic.com.

• If your favourite search engine doesn't always yield the results you want, download Copernic at www.copernic.com. Copernic searches 20 searches and is available in a free version and two paid versions.

• Pollstar provides music business professionals with worldwide concert tour schedules, ticket sales results, music industry contact directories, trade news and unique specialized data services. In addition to publishing the concert industry's leading weekly trade publication, Pollstar also maintains the world's largest database of international concert tour information. Drop by this site at www.pollstar.com.

• The Music Discovery Network (MDN) is an organization dedicated to the advancement and success of independent music. Membership includes: music enthusiasts, artists, labels, media, stores, educators, promoters, venue operators, vendors and any other group or organization that would take an interest in supporting independent music. The site features sections such as what's new, music, resources, web radio, venues and festivals and much more. Check out the MDN at www.musicdiscoveries.com.

• Groove.ca announced a new feature added to their site called the Public Mix section. DJs worldwide can now upload their own mixed set via ftp for all to listen to. This will give a lot of people the exposure they are looking for. Mix sets can be uploaded in the .RA (Real Audio) or .MP3 (Mpeg Layer 3) format only. Check out this new feature at www.groove.ca.

• Check out Music Business Solutions at www.mbsolutions.com/resource/ for thousands of music-related resources. The emphasis in the Musician's Resource Directory is on resources that are most helpful to musicians who are trying to establish careers for themselves in the areas such as: performing and recording artists, composers and songwriters, educators and music therapists and more.

• Visit the Canadian Musician Web site and check out the new Online News section. You will be able to find all the latest news about the industry, products, artists and more. You can also view the news archives and search the stories. Check this out at canadianmusician.com/news.php.

• Music Books Plus is your best source on the Net for music and audio books, videos, CD-ROMs, DVDs, audio cassettes, software, posters, sound effects and apparel. Music Books Plus offers over 5000 titles on the areas of: Music Business, Instrument Instruction, Audio & Video Production, Recording, Lighting and much more. To add to that, they also have new titles regularly, monthly specials, free monthly e-newsletters, free downloadable updates and flyers. Stop by today at www.musicbooksplus.com.