OT - File Sharing and Lost Music

[Memorex]

I am not a proponent of music sharing, per se. I take it back to what we did as kids – give your friends a tape, maybe cheer someone up with some new music, etc. Even trying to get people to like an artist you are in love with. Not uploading albums to torrent sites and the like.

I look at someone like musicfan17 who lost his Storm mp3’s. He purchased them at one time and simply accidentally deleted them. I don’t consider it wrong to give him a copy of something he owns.

I had a collection of nearly 1000 vinyl albums stolen when I was in my early 20’s. I have spent thousands replacing them and expanding the collection immensely via CD and mp3. But there are albums I had that I cannot find. I would love to get them.

So I am curious – are there CD’s/albums/mp3’s you have lost that you cannot find or cannot afford to replace?

[Arianddu]

There are a stack of recordings of local bands I made (with permission) in the late 80s and early 90s that were stolen from my stuff-in-storage while I lived overseas in the late 90s/early '00s, which are irreplaceable. Most are of bands no one's ever heard of (well, unless you were seriously into the Adelaide live music scene) but they had a lot of personal meaning to me, and some of it was seriously good music. A lot of memories of good times out and about with my friends.

There are also a stack of LPs and CDs that the same scumwad made off with at the same time, and while I am prepared to spend the money to replace them, finding some of them to replace is the trick. So I do kind of feel like "I've spent 10 years looking for a copy of this album in any format without luck, which I have paid for before; yes, I'd love a copy of yours, please," but at the same time, if I find an original copy, new or second hand, I then feel obliged to buy it if I can.

There have been a few occaisions where I've found the contact for the original artist (or their estate) and asked if I could pay them a fee to make a high-quality copy from someone else because I cannot find an original for love or money. Five out of six times, they sent me high-quality copies themselves for free, with thanks for contacting them (and one assumes passing my letter on to their record company, suggesting a re-issue!)

To me, it's about what is available. If it's currently commercially available, then buy. If it isn't, and you genuinely can't find it, then copy, with a moral commitment to replacing the copy with an original if you can.

I'd also love to see a lot more artist-direct-to-fan sales. I have some serious moral issues with the amount of money companies make from artists, and how little of that money goes back into new acts. I'd rather know the people who made the music get the bulk of the moolah.

[Behshad]

They can never stop file sharing. And its a good thing we all have the option to choose if we want to download/share files or not.
I personally enjoy 'previewing" a movie/cd, before I buy it,,, With the strict return/exchange policies in the retail market these days , I think its great where
you can download a movie and watch it before you decide to spend your hard earned money on it...

Now to answer your question, I dont think you can replace a collection of LPs and 7"s with an ipod full of mp3's.....

[Memorex]

I was speaking more of a one to one replacement, like in my example above with The Storm.

I found a download of an Alias disc that was stolen from me. I don't feel guilty in the least. I paid for it the first time. I don't feel artists should rely on replacement sales. I mean, it happens naturally. Just my point of view.

[musicfan17]

First..thanks for the DL on the replacement Storm files Memorex. Now...if I said I've never received a "free" copy of a CD/album etc... I'd be lying, or that I've never handed a close friend "something to take a listen of" that would be false as well, but generally speaking, I prefer to purchase my music the legal way.

In my case with the Storm MP3s, I totally agree. I purchased the album, and I have no issue with re-downloading it again. Somehow the files got deleted and someone offered to replace them for me. I also recently lost a VH MP3 that I paid to download through AmazonMP3.com. I would have to pay for it again if I wanted to get it back.

Probably 98% of my music library I've purchased with my own money. Some things I've lost the original CD, cassette etc. and have no way to re-rip the files if they are lost though. This was the case with The Storm album. So thanks again!

[musicfan17]

btw...good post Arianddu.

[edcha]

btw...good post Arianddu.

Yup...makes good sense to me.

[sniper16]

as a person who has made a living off of the music business, and have friend who release cd's, im not a big fan of illegal downloading, however i have downloaded a few songs myself, mostly things i have on lp or 45, that would require me to buy a whole cd for 1 songor some obscure song that isnt currently available widely so everyone has thier breakpoint.
i dont think you should illegally download if you can go down the street and buy it.
ive also went out and purchased a cd after downloading some hits ie 9 genesis, rush)

[jrnyman28]

I have been replacing my cassette tapes for several years now. I have gone through purchases, "legal" downloads, p2p, and now I am finding the music blogs. There are some cassettes that I just cannot find. Some are stupid, but I liked them at the time so I still have memories tied to them (like the band "Breakfast Club", can't find it.) Some had some good stuff in a different vein (like Grayson Hugh's debut, can't find it). I still have about 12 tapes to replace, but I refuse to eBay at a higher price for something I already bought once before.

I enjoy copying my vinyl to CD so I haven't looked for much of that collection in digital.

[S2M]

I, admittedly, have been downloading music for close to 7 years....beginning with Napster, then AudioGalaxy...etc. Sometimes I reflect on whether it is wrong or not. But then I get back to the quality of the product these days. I refuse to pay $16, $17, or $18 for 2 great tracks, and 10 fillers. Most of these albums are out at LEAST two weeks before the actual Cd drops - on the P2P sites anyway....Bonus tracks? Sorry, not paying $35 for an extra song.

OOP stuff? This is where it is anyone's game....free reign on OOP stuff. If it is OOP, it ain't illegal.

After all this, if I really like what I download, I end up buying it. ALTHOUGH, I still haven't bought Snakes & Arrows yet. Which may, or may not tell you something...

and I still haven't bought 'In the Spirit of Things', Dave....

Memo: I listen to ALOT of the bands featured on Heavy Harmonies....and those CDs are tough to find. So my guilt is waning.

PS - I'm STILL looking for a cassette that I lost over 15 years ago....the band was 'Legend', and they were a local band, here in Massachusetts. If anyone knows anything, give me a shout....

I just wanna throw a shout out to all the Spoons in the forum.....

[jrnyman28]

I am definitely on board with downloading OOP or unreleased stuff. It it ain't available to buy then it is ok!

[Arianddu]

I was speaking more of a one to one replacement, like in my example above with The Storm.

I found a download of an Alias disc that was stolen from me. I don't feel guilty in the least. I paid for it the first time. I don't feel artists should rely on replacement sales. I mean, it happens naturally. Just my point of view.

I'd prefer to see something with paid-for downloads whereby you get a code, and can re-download the song a certain number of times over, say, five years. Basically a recognition that data files corrupt, get lost in a system crash, get accidentally deleted, etc. I know there are objections, one of which is 'no one offers you a free replacement if you scratch your CD', but at the same time, if I drop my laptop, I can lose several hundreds worth of albums in one single catastrophe; a similar destruction of my CD collection is generally speaking covered by my house & contents insurance.

[conversationpc]

I'd prefer to see something with paid-for downloads whereby you get a code, and can re-download the song a certain number of times over, say, five years. Basically a recognition that data files corrupt, get lost in a system crash, get accidentally deleted, etc. I know there are objections, one of which is 'no one offers you a free replacement if you scratch your CD', but at the same time, if I drop my laptop, I can lose several hundreds worth of albums in one single catastrophe; a similar destruction of my CD collection is generally speaking covered by my house & contents insurance.

That's the way one of the sites I've used in the past does it. I've had to use it before, too, and was grateful for it.

[Arianddu]

I'd prefer to see something with paid-for downloads whereby you get a code, and can re-download the song a certain number of times over, say, five years. Basically a recognition that data files corrupt, get lost in a system crash, get accidentally deleted, etc. I know there are objections, one of which is 'no one offers you a free replacement if you scratch your CD', but at the same time, if I drop my laptop, I can lose several hundreds worth of albums in one single catastrophe; a similar destruction of my CD collection is generally speaking covered by my house & contents insurance.

That's the way one of the sites I've used in the past does it. I've had to use it before, too, and was grateful for it.

Good to know someone's doing it! May I ask which site? I'm all for supporting people in the industry who aren't out to rip every cent from everyone they can.

[conversationpc]

Good to know someone's doing it! May I ask which site? I'm all for supporting people in the industry who aren't out to rip every cent from everyone they can.

It's called mp3search.ru, a Russian site. Who knows if it's completely legitimate but I've spent a few hundred bucks there altogether and never had a problem. Of course, I use a card that's tied to a bank account that I only put very little money in so if I do get ripped off, it won't be for much.

Anyway, my account there has history going back to May of this year, so I could download those tracks again, if I wanted to.

[T-Bone]

OOP stuff? This is where it is anyone's game....free reign on OOP stuff. If it is OOP, it ain't illegal.

How much money would you like to put on that.....

OOP means it's not in print, but it does NOT mean that someone gave up their ownership rights to it.

I'm sure everyone here has traded or downloaded at one time or another. This topic is a never ending debate that doesn't need to be discussed here.