In today’s day and age, music piracy and copyrighting are very
controversial topics. Music piracy is used more than it
ever was in the past. This is because there are a very large number of ways to
illegally download music via the internet. On the internet there are millions
of file/mp3 conversion websites which can be used to convert a simple YouTube
video into an mp3. Thus, the music can be downloaded without paying any money for it. Due to the fact that music piracy and
copyrighting has become exceedingly popular and prevalent, many artists have
become outspoken about their opinions and feelings towards this topic. Examples of artists who have either agreed to be interviewed
about their views of music ownership rights or have been outspoken in the
public eye would include Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, and local singer/songwriter Hayley
Reardon.
World-Wide
performing and recording artists such as Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney have
their own opinions on the topic and controversy involving the illegal distribution
of music via the internet. Lady Gaga accepts unauthorized
sharing of music and claims that the illegal downloading of her music is good
for her career. This is because she cares and takes pride more in sharing her
music rather than how much she sells. Also, Lady Gaga does not care if her fans
illegally download her music because as she states, “the big money is in
touring.” This is a very different opinion compared to a musician who is not as
popular who is struggling to make a living selling their music (and is not able
to fill up large performing venues). On the other hand, Paul McCartney has
gradually come to a conclusion on his beliefs when it comes to illegally
downloading music. In the past, Paul McCartney insisted that he did not care
about music piracy (yet he thought of the concept as “weird”) but after 2009, he
changed his opinion completely and now claims that he is against music piracy
and illegal downloading of music due to the fact that many young bands need to make their money while they are able to. Being Britain’s number one wealthiest musician, Paul McCartney’s
humility towards the controversy, and how he understands the struggles of young
bands, is inspiring.
Hayley Reardon is a local sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter. She is currently a sophomore at Marblehead High School. The majority of her income comes from performances at live gigs. This is partially due to the profit from ticket sales, but mostly because “it’s really the only setting where people are still willing to purchase physical CDs.” Although Hayley performs her music at live venues, she also uses internet sources to promote her original music. She tends to use typical social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr) to keep fans updated on live shows and new music and she collects email addresses in order to send out an email newsletter containing information. Hayley also uses the internet to distribute her music. Her music is available on iTunes, Amazon, Nimbit Music, Soundcloud and Spotify. Hayley has willingly agreed to share her views and opinions towards illegal music distribution and ownership rights for musicians. Hayley has a somewhat open-minded view when it comes to free distribution of music (via the internet). She believes that although giving away music for free can be a good marketing tool, she also feels that art is worth something. In Hayley’s own words she states, “In my mind it’s about creating a balance between giving up sales when you know it’s going to gain you new fans, and charging for your art when you know there are people out there who love it enough to pay for it.” Hayley’s opinion on illegally downloading music is very interesting. She accepts the fact that illegally downloading music is very common and will not be stopped any time in the near future, yet she feels strongly about the fact that she has friends who are musicians struggling to make a living because their fans are no longer paying for the art that they work hard to create. Overall, she feels that, “It’s an exciting time, and in the end artists will continue to make music and will find a way to get paid for it…it’s just about finding a new way to fill the void that music piracy has left.”
Hayley Reardon is a local sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter. She is currently a sophomore at Marblehead High School. The majority of her income comes from performances at live gigs. This is partially due to the profit from ticket sales, but mostly because “it’s really the only setting where people are still willing to purchase physical CDs.” Although Hayley performs her music at live venues, she also uses internet sources to promote her original music. She tends to use typical social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr) to keep fans updated on live shows and new music and she collects email addresses in order to send out an email newsletter containing information. Hayley also uses the internet to distribute her music. Her music is available on iTunes, Amazon, Nimbit Music, Soundcloud and Spotify. Hayley has willingly agreed to share her views and opinions towards illegal music distribution and ownership rights for musicians. Hayley has a somewhat open-minded view when it comes to free distribution of music (via the internet). She believes that although giving away music for free can be a good marketing tool, she also feels that art is worth something. In Hayley’s own words she states, “In my mind it’s about creating a balance between giving up sales when you know it’s going to gain you new fans, and charging for your art when you know there are people out there who love it enough to pay for it.” Hayley’s opinion on illegally downloading music is very interesting. She accepts the fact that illegally downloading music is very common and will not be stopped any time in the near future, yet she feels strongly about the fact that she has friends who are musicians struggling to make a living because their fans are no longer paying for the art that they work hard to create. Overall, she feels that, “It’s an exciting time, and in the end artists will continue to make music and will find a way to get paid for it…it’s just about finding a new way to fill the void that music piracy has left.”
http://voices.yahoo.com/paul-mccartney-other-60s-legends-views-music10894701.html?cat=33
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/rock-stars-slam-disconnection-plan-for-pirates-20090907-fdtd.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/rock-stars-slam-disconnection-plan-for pirates-20090907-fdtd.html
(Picture:) http://blog.recordunion.com/dogblog/tag/illegal-downloading/
1 comment:
I think it is so interesting that Paul McCartney changed his views to something so contrasting, especially since he has only made more money as he has grown older.
Post a Comment