what if songs were still $.99 cents, but the bands received 100% of the profit, would you actually buy their music?

Question

Cary · Accepted Answer

I don't understand why people steal from musicians they admire, and the fact that you can get an entire bands discography by simply clicking a button kind of makes it less special. When I buy an album and it doesn't really click with me, I give it a few playthroughs to see if there's anything I might have missed the last time I listened to it. I want to get as much as possible out of the album because I used my money to buy it. It similar to buying games, you play it until you feel you have experienced every aspect of the game, because not doing so would be a waste of the cash you spent on it. When people just steal all of the music and have the entire discography just sitting there they tend to listen to the songs half-heartedly. Usually they throw it out if they don't like it the first time they hear it..

Derron · Answer

"I think it would be harder for most people to resist paying if this were true because that would personalize the issue. It is too easy to disregard the faceless, "evil" corporation.  I think the real solution to this is to lower the prices. If it were cheaper for everyone to just buy the song as opposed to spending time looking for it, they'd probably just buy it.  "

Katrin Gerste · Answer

Stuff's free online.

KALLIE · Answer

I try to support artists by going to shows. In fact, I love live music so much, I scan local venue calendars and sample music from the lineup. If I like what I hear, I'll torrent more and buy a ticket to the show. If there is an artist in my music library who will play a show within 200 miles of me, I'll do everything I can to be there.  Will I realistically attend a show by every artist in my music library? No... But I simply can't afford to pay a dollar for every song I like.

Annadiana · Answer

No. If my favourite band comes to my city and has a $60 concert, I'll buy it and enjoy the concert. If an awesome new movie comes out, I'll go to the theatre with friends and watch it. If a great new game comes out, I'll pay for it only to play multiplayer. The first game I ever bought was Minecraft, because buying it meant that I could play online with my friends. I've played hundreds of games but hardly any multiplayer. If I need a song to listen to on my MP3 player, or a movie to watch at home, or a game to play alone - I'll get it for free. I find that I pay for the experience. If it's something that's just some virtual data, it's not worth the money for me. Also, I am a high-school student and don't earn. I don't wish to waste my parents money on something I could get for free.

Laura Scherer · Answer

The bands aren't the only ones putting work into these songs. Even the most indie of indie bands has a variety of producers, recorders, sound engineers, distributors, agents, and more helping them turn their vague artistic ideas into concrete recordings. I don't agree with the insinuation that artists could freely and easily do without them.

SYLVIE · Answer

I like buying works as a whole. I hate the idea of buying individual songs off of an album because to me it would be like buying a chapter from a book. That song had a purpose and serves part of the whole. When I buy music I like to own the physical copy and the artwork/liner notes as I believe that is a part of the work in question.

Aada-Maria · Answer

I'd probably buy some of it. The problem with this system is that currently I am stuck on 90s rap. Most of my favorite artists are fucking dead by now.

Karolin Gartner · Answer

When CD's are 8~10$ each and have 15 quality tracks and 85% or more goes to the band is when I will start buying albums.

Gabriele Weber · Answer

I would still buy a physical CD if I liked the album. My general refusal to purchase music digitally isn't about the DRM, the pricing, or the revenue sharing model, but the fact that I don't like paying for binary numbers (that's what all digital files are) that I could easily get for free.

Mexhide · Answer

Yes, I would still buy their music. And I would still listen to a lot of music for free to find out whether or not I like it.

Pierson · Answer

Yes. I support the arts. Fuck the industry.

Antje Foerster · Answer

Yes... I already do...

Oraka · Answer

No, I buy CDs currently online market digital media doesn't cut it for me so I rip myself.

RUTHANN · Answer

"I've thought of this for a long time... Why don't bands put all their music for free download on their websites, like Nine Inch Nails did, except you need to watch a 30 seconds ad before each album or something. 20,000 album "sales" means 20,000 guaranteed viewers. Advertisers pay the band. Problem solved? "

Jeri · Answer

Yes and I actually do buy music from bandcamp for example. I'm willing to pay $5-7 for an album max and I won't buy lossy music.

beinta · Answer

"Depends on the band, a lot of albums i get end up being "eh" and Im glad I didnt waste my money.  "

Gabriele Fried · Answer

I think that if you really want to support a band, you should go see them live. They make much, much more money for appearances than they do for actual song sales. Most of that goes to the studio.

Grove · Answer

I prefer bands like Umphrey's McGee that allow fans to tape all their live shows, and distribute/stream for free (www.archive.org). I go to every show, and will travel regionally to see them. I also buy from them the really nice live recordings of the extra good shows for ~10 for a show. But then again, I think live music is the best.

Arden · Answer

No, they would come up with some new excuse as to why piracy is justifiable.

Melody · Answer

"If I can get the "hard copy" in my hand I'll never just down load it. "

HWA · Answer

I buy CDs, never MP3s.

Karine · Answer

"I tend to prefer buying physical music, rather than digital downloads.  1) Because I like cover art, etc., and 2) Because I feel like a physical CD is more of a "permanent" copy. I've downloaded music from iTunes and then lost it in a reformat. Does Apple let me re-download it, though? Of course not. "

musse · Answer

If they received such % of profits I would pay $2 so others who can't afford it would enjoy it for free (ie. youth and students)

bogumila · Answer

Typically if I like a band a lot and I want to support them, I'll make the extra effort to buy tickets and see 'em live. I'd buy a fucking T-shirt too.

Tiina-Riitta · Answer

That's a lot of money for just a song.

Maryjane · Answer

No, I'm no going to pay for something I can hear on the internet for free. I will however, pay to see them perform live, maybe even buy a poster if they put on a good show.

Anjelika · Answer

Yes. Yes I would.

JESENIA · Answer

I'd buy more than I do now. Like my top 5-10 bands  I'd buy all their stuff.

Julia Neustadt · Answer

I try to support ideas and uniqueness directly. for music, i prefer service bundle alternatives (where the artists are still paid) like pandora or the zune pass.

Nicole Fuerst · Answer

If I had the money I would buy the CD personally just because I'm a sucker for cool cover art.

Hilppa · Answer

As a musician on i-tunes, I make 64 cents for every song sold, and roughly a cent for every 3-4 songs streamed through spotify, napster, etc. But I gladly give up a cut for space on a well-known, trusted platform that people consistently frequent. It's a trade off--I don't expect a digital distributor to be a non-profit.

iben · Answer

"I won't lie. I wouldn't. I pay for music based on quality not for price. When that Radiohead album "In Rainbows" came out for digital download with free price, I paid like 20 bucks because I knew it would be good. If it's good I go back and buy it. It doesn't happen so often. Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons and Good Old War will forever have my cash though. "

Helene · Answer

Bands allready get 100% of the profit, all one cent of it!

Aron · Answer

Errr... I use zune pass and am trying mpg right now... How does that work?

Madelen · Answer

.99 cents? Less than a penny for a song? Hell yeah!

Ann-Lovis · Answer

No, I would find a reason to hate the band members and love the music just so I can justify my downloading.

Melisse · Answer

It all depends on what you mean by 'buy'. Can I move it across different devices, or is it locked down with DRM? Is it backed up online in a format that allows me to re-download it should I have a catostrophic computer crash/theft? Can I play it at a party without having to pay the SOCAN fee?  Can I dance to it without paying a larger SOCAN fee? If these all are favorable, yes. $1 is very much worth it. How that gets divided between the band/producers/music company does not concern me.

what if songs were still $.99 cents, but the bands received 100% of the profit, would you actually buy their music?

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