[Delirium-Zer0]

I download mp3s and I don't delete them because for the most part I listen to music on my computer. But if I like an artist or an album enough, I'll buy their CDs. I very rarely buy CDs new though. And when I do buy CDs I tend to rip them and those mp3s join the mp3s i've downloaded so my whole collection is all in one place. The RIAJ would hate me for my collection, but as broke as I am I really need to choose wisely which CDs i buy, and mp3s help me do that. I very rarely buy CDs new in any case. Alot of times I buy them used, because it's cheaper, but whether i buy any given used CD or not, it makes no difference in how much money the label makes off me; that CD's already bought & paid for, and accounted for in their numbers. I buy the CD because I like it and it's not in my collection and, for whatever reason, I firmly believe it should be. Really, it only counts at all if we buy the CD new, not on eBay or Yahoo! Auctions singapore or at stores like Kamikaze Anime in LA. I hate to say it, but I WISH NEW ALBUMS WERE ONLY $15!!! At yesasia also they're listed at about $25 but with shipping (unless you buy more and use yesasia's super saver shipping or something) that's about $30-35, which is how much it would cost to buy it at Asahiya or Kinokuniya in Little Tokyo. Even if they were only $15 or so, just because we can afford computer & internet doesn't mean we can afford the CDs. the internet bill might be our "spending money" because the internet is important enough to us that that's what we spend our money on. This is the case with me... i pay $35 a month for my internet, cuz I can't afford the $50/month plan. Look at that, $15 difference. Funny how that works out ^_^ So you see, being able to afford $35/month for internet doesn't mean I can afford to buy cds. I like to try to buy CDs I like new, but it takes a long time for this starving college student to save up for one.

I also like downloading the music before it comes out or right after it does, just so I know what my friends are talking about when they talk about music they like x_x I hate when people go 'OMG isn't this song GREAT?' and I have no idea what they're talking about. MP3s are the only thing that saves those conversations. I'm really into music in general and I love reviewing albums & songs that come out but I obviously can't talk about music I've never heard, and I can't afford to buy it all.

Another reason I download & use mp3s is because I want to promote jpop to other people. i make alot of compilations for people and send them mp3s because maybe they'll like it and one day buy music for artists I don't buy the CDs of because I don't like them enough to save up money. But my mp3s still help increase CD sales for other artists, just now my friends are buying instead of me.

There are all kinds of reasons to download mp3s. Not all of us are stealing. It's only wrong to depend solely on MP3s for the music you listen to.

(on top of it, it's just dumb, cuz file backups can get corrupted, CD-Rs can get stolen from you, and computers can be annoying and not work for long periods of time mp3s are far inferior to CDs, i think.)