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Is Downloading killing music? 28 members have voted

  1. 1. Is Downloading killing smaller acts chances?

    • Yes
      8
    • No
      19
  2. 2. Is Downloading killing artists long term careers?

    • Yes
      12
    • No
      15

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Even though single sales are healthy now due to downloading. Is Downloading actually killing music? as people will pick and choose? or in most cases just download the big hit record they heard on the radio again and again and again without bothering with anything else?
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No, it's just another to buy music imo. If people hear a track that they like then they'll download it or buy it in the shop, simple as that I think. The way that the chart is changing might stop acts from smaller labels getting into the charts though considering that they're going to be selling an amount over time instead of one week but it's not going to stop people from noticing them.

Killing music? Anything but. Saving music more like - if you hear a new song on the radio by a small group, it's much easier to download than to go out to the shops where the single might not be stocked in great numbers because it was released by a small independent label - downloading stops the distribution problem. It cuts down on all the extra fees for singles and labels - no shipping etc., leaving the label with more money to promote the artist.

 

With big artists on big labels, the big labels still receive the same benefit of not having to pay for the extras of shipping and distribution, and it aids them - even though you can probably easily find the single in big numbers down at your local HMV, you can download - people these days are getting lazier I think - they'd rather download than go out to the shops, so it keeps interest high and doesn't alienate those who don't have a local record shop.

 

Also, downloads are cheaper, so 99p for what you really want is more worth than a £3.99 CD with the song you want and a few c**p remixes (or maybe none at all!). For the cost of a CD you could get a few songs off the album - or even save and buy the album for just double the price! When things are cheaper, it means people can buy more, thus keeping interest high in music - and saving it!

It's helping smaller acts, as indie labels can market through downloads etc

 

Although it's not killing the bigger acts, it is affecting the singles after the first few releases, take Robbie Williams and Sugababes

 

Sin Sin Sin and Follow Me Home would have both been top 20 on physicals, yet end up alot lower on combined. But this is alright cos it gives plenty of others a chance :D

Killing is a bit strong.

 

I think the ability to sample a new artist for 80p a pop can only help. It would also remove many of the distribution problems.

 

As for long-term damage to a career, or at least to a bank balance, I'm not sure. Can artists really survive on the money made from downloading if people only want a few songs (and have no incentive to buy a whole album for the odd song anymore).

no deffinately not because of downloads we're getting interesting chart runs and not the boring entering and then dropping out after a few weeks
No its not, I download but I also get the physical cd as well, so I hope it doesnt go to purely downloads

I don't buy CD singles anymore - I legally download them.

 

However I always buy physical albums, I've yet to buy a downloaded album.

  • Author

Killing is a bit strong.

 

well the title is adapted from the current Uncut mag

  • Author

Killing music? Anything but. Saving music more like - if you hear a new song on the radio by a small group, it's much easier to download than to go out to the shops where the single might not be stocked in great numbers because it was released by a small independent label

 

here a new song on the radio by a small group??? in the daytime :lol: even flicking round to radio 1 and xfm still turn up all the usual suspects most of the time.

Yeah - that brings me to another point. Say you hear it in the middle of the night - you can't exactly pop out to HMV, but iTunes (or LimeWire, if you are predisposed as such) is open 24/7.

Great topic!

 

Concept albums may get adversly effected as I think the emphasis with downloads seems to be for individual songs, but then again a concept album is more a suite of music so seen more as a single entity. Compilation albums may suffer most. After all, with an i-pod (I don't own one) I guess you can create your own compilations. Now they may really suffer, but who knows?

 

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No

 

Arctic Monkeys and Sandy Thom both created their reputations online

 

well think we'd better not go into the Sandi Thom case. could be here all day debating whether it was a pa stunt or due to airplay ect ect

  • Author

Great topic!

 

Concept albums may get adversly effected as I think the emphasis with downloads seems to be for individual songs, but then again a concept album is more a suite of music so seen more as a single entity. Compilation albums may suffer most. After all, with an i-pod (I don't own one) I guess you can create your own compilations. Now they may really suffer, but who knows?

 

dont know think with compilations quite a few people will buy the brand everytime a new one is released (now) and a lot are picked up in supermarkets while people are wondering to get their sausages (this is what i did today with uncut magazine)

  • Author

Yeah - that brings me to another point. Say you hear it in the middle of the night - you can't exactly pop out to HMV, but iTunes (or LimeWire, if you are predisposed as such) is open 24/7.

 

you can shop online at hmv in the middle of the night. their £5 off £35 voucher are by each month so in the past i have waited till about 1 minute past midnight to go spend them :lol:

  • Author

no deffinately not because of downloads we're getting interesting chart runs and not the boring entering and then dropping out after a few weeks

 

well depending if the record companies are deleteing them or not :lol:

 

the bottom of the chart gets a bit stuck though

A very good topic

 

In a way at the moment its helping it as Physicals are at a all time low, otherwise airplay would have been combined and make the charts 10 times owrse.

I dont think it's killing put I think it's spoiling.

2 reasons.

 

Illegal downloading - thats the part thats spoiling music, and yes, possible killing it.

Downloading before physical release - Take christina for example. If she didnt have such high downloads then she possible would of made #1

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