How exactly is music expensive?

 

I don't download albums as I see it as a waste of money, I prefer to pay the extra couple of quid and get a tangible physical product that I can hold and keep forever. However, I do download singles as it's very easy and very cheap (59p on Amazon and sometimes just 50p on 7Digital for HQ tracks). There's really no excuse for illegally downloading, unless of course it hasn't been made available for legal download anywhere yet.

The physical format is a complete rip off. I worked out for some project I did ages ago that it can be as low as £1.30 to produce a CD and put it in a case, booklet and packaging.

 

And then some places sell CD's for £12

The physical format is a complete rip off. I worked out for some project I did ages ago that it can be as low as £1.30 to produce a CD and put it in a case, booklet and packaging.

 

And then some places sell CD's for £12

 

But in the mid-1990s, albums would frequently sell for £12-£15. Now mostly they will retail at £9 or even £8 first week out. That when you consider inflation is pretty damn good value really..

Exactly.

 

The music industry has been coming up with the same argument for decades - 'If only we could stop illegal copying, our business would explode overnight'

 

'diddums' isn't it for the 'poor ole music industry' - didn't matter when they were ripping everyone off, and at one time the UK were paying a lot more for a basic music CD, especially as we knew how cheap they were to manufacture in the first place!

People will always find ways to get fresh music without paying for it!

 

Music industries should not concentrate to stop illegal downloading at first place! They should do legal downloading more attractive which is not the case right now!

 

I do think that forums and boards like Buzzjack or Haven make legal music downloading more attractive (by posting itunes charts, talking/arguing about it etc.). Has one of these so called music experts ever thought about that???

I agree with every word!

 

And I suppose, music industry should find new ways of making money. For example, maybe all music companies should let the users download music for free, but with price ticket 'You decide'. I mean you pay for CD that money what you think it costs. And, of course with lots of explanations that if you don't send any money to artist, he will not simply make any more music...

If you can get something for free, why pay for it?

Its a natural human response.

Does anyone know what prices of albums and singles were like 5, 10, 20, 30 years ago? If you take inflation into account i'm sure that prices of music have decreased?

:rofl:

 

Yeah but people want more now, and have less money because of the credit crunch, so this time of the recession, people will illegally download music. When someone said if there was a chart for illegally downloaded music, I know Put A Donk on it will be the Umbrella of the illegal world!

I must admit, in a way, i laugh at records labels now because i think back to when they charged 14.99 for an album in its first week. Just look how they were ripping us off. Now they cant afford to and i think its a lot better.

How exactly is music expensive?

I do think music is expensive. In Hungary where I live dvd films have half the price as a music album. And what do I get for a music album? 8-9 tracks, 60 minutes of music where I liks about 5-6 tracks.

 

With a dvd I get 90-120 minutes of excitement with extras etc. I can buy a full season of my favourite series about the same price as a new music album if it's on an offer.

 

So is music expensive? compared to dvds a big YES.

I've considered illegal downloading, but I've always felt too guilty to go through with it :kink:

If I was the owner of a record company, I'd make all single track downloads free, and reduce the price for albums.

 

:rolleyes: That's like Tescos dropping the price of multipacks of crisps and giving the individual packs away for nothing!

 

Those people who whinge about the price of singles do seem to be great at coming up with the most bizarre alternives ("put 9 tracks on each one and charge 10p for it" etc;) And it usually comes from those who download illegally in an attempt to justify themselves!

 

 

 

But in the mid-1990s, albums would frequently sell for £12-£15. Now mostly they will retail at £9 or even £8 first week out. That when you consider inflation is pretty damn good value really..

 

And why do you think that has happened ?

 

Have record companies and retailers developed a sense of generosity and undergone Ebeneezer Scrooge like conversions ?

 

NO

 

it is because of the fact that they see downloading is eating into their sales so they have to end their little rip off scams to try and attract customers again hence the lower prices, the illegal downloaders are like modern day Robin Hood's to me as this has forced down High St prices from obscene £12-15 for a chart CD down to realistic levels

 

 

£6 -9 is alright when it's a CD, but for download it is still a massive rip off.

In the past 2 months, I've almost downloaded 1GB of music (according to my iTunes). And looking through the tracks, I haven't purchased any of them legally.

 

And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I do usually download stuff legally, but only because I know what a bad state the music industry is in financially, which is something most people our age don't really consider, understandably... if the music industry was in great shape, I probably would get stuff for free.

 

There wouldn't even be illegal downloading if it wasn't for record labels' incompetence, or not to the same extent anyway. At the beginning of the decade, Napster was the only prominent illegal downloading service... if the labels had struck a deal with them then to put prices on songs there, everyone would've been content with that, and getting music for free just wouldn't really have entered the public psyche. Instead, the labels got it shut down, everyone moved onto other file-sharing services and it became impossible to contain. Hopefully, the labels have learnt their lesson from this, and the next time a new form of owning music emerges (which will happen within 20 years most likely), they won't be so hostile towards it.

I blame it all on the record companies for being greedy and trying to control the buying habits and listening habits of consumers...I prefer to buy my music legally whether through download or the physical cd. If I am going to buy an whole album I usually but the physicall cd but I am finding that for single tracks . It's becoming impossible for me to get things like remixes , b-sides etc without downloading illegally because I-tunes/7 Digital and other download sites place a restriction on where you live .... I-tunes UK only UK residents...etc.. So I am trying to support the artists legitimately but unfortunately I am starting to be pulled in the other direction. US I-tunes has some imports and US 7 Digital is a joke right now..

I don't download illegally because i feel it contaminates my iPod :D but i know plenty of people that do.

 

I still think official downloads a expensive for that they are though. Ok, it's 79p, not breaking the bank, but I bought Lily Allens 'Fear' single for 99p and it included 2 x tracks (The Fear & Fag Hag), card sleeve and a CD. It would have cost me £1.58 to download those two tracks and I can't even hold it!! It doesn't make sence :unsure: Thats why i think record companys should stop charging us more money just because they stick singles in jewel cases. Give us the cardsleeve and knock £1 of the price :nono:

I listen to more than 50 artists, if I bought everything they've all released I would be broke forever. So what I do is download everything illegally and when I feel like an album has grown on me soooooooo much, I feel like it's so epic and totally worth it, only then I order it.

LOL surprise surprise...most ppl I know download illegally and then share with their friends or burn cds. At least I usually buy an album if I really like it after having heard it.

i only usually download legally when i really really want it but when i just want it or am not bothered i do it illegally.

 

i do try to do half and half though but atm it's more like 60/40 in favour of illegal.

Edited February 20, 200916 yr by On The Hustle

I don't usually download illegally. I'll instead listen to an album on Spotify.