Record Companies to Blame for Music Piracy

Growing up I always thought I was relatively conscious of rules and didn’t do anything to break the law. Little did I know that I was actually a cold-hearted criminal. I’ll admit it. I’ve committed thousand of counts of music piracy. Sue me!

Does downloading a song off the Internet really make me a criminal? In my opinion, absolutely not. Unfortunately, my opinion only goes so far, and the ones that truly matter like the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) seem to think it most certainly is a crime. Prior to the string of lawsuits filed by the RIAA and various other associations fighting for record companies, a mere 35 percent of people were even aware that file sharing was illegal. If this many people didn’t know there was such a law, there must be some sort of explanation.

Record companies claim that they are being shorted billions of dollars annually due to this so-called “piracy.” While buying physical albums and digital downloads (the legal kind) supports the artist and generates revenue for recording companies, it is not the preferred way of listening to music. You would think that the loss of album sales would cause the music industry to wake up and realize that you can’t monitor how people listen to their music, but that is not the case. Instead of progressing as an industry and conforming to what consumers want, record companies are living in the past where purchasing albums in stores or online was the norm.

Record companies have failed to survey their audience and ask what the consumers want. The sooner these companies accept that music lovers will, one way or another, find a way to listen to their favorite artists, the better. It is the record companies’ responsibility to support the artists that sign with them. The millions of dollars wasted into lawsuits to try and prevent this “epidemic” of music piracy could have been directed into something that actually generates sales.

What many people seem to misjudge is that file sharing can actually be a very lucrative way for record companies to make sales. Regardless of whether people pay for their music, once they listen to a song they like they may become a loyal fan of that artist. This new loyal fan then might tell his or her friends about this great new song they heard and now their fanbase has grown. The growing fanbase will result in more selling of concert tickets, apparel and possibly new albums. File sharing can potentially make a new artist go viral, making their popularity grow faster and thus leading to more serious recognition for the artist.

I highly encourage buying new albums from artists that you enjoy. They are great mementos and help support well-deserving musicians. With that said, if you truly want to support your favorite artists, then go out and see them live! Do not feel threatened by these record companies that claim you are a criminal for downloading music off the Internet. They are the ones to blame for their lost revenue, not you.

Dan Banks can be reached at daniel.banks@spartans.ut.edu