are we really supporting ayumi by d/ling mp3s???

[sailorboy62]

nick
And, call me stupid, but downloading mp3s and keeping them is still like stealing a CD from the store to me.

That's great, but it really seems like you haven't read a thing anyone has wrote about the actual stuff besides the music that you get when you buy a CD. You just keep repeating the same stuff over and over, and I don't respect that.

Originally posted by ImpactBreaker
If there was a way for that someone to DL the chocolate flavor and taste it using a computer device it woldn't be like stealing a bar of chocolate (the person would just feel the taste but wouldn't be able to get hol of the material part of the chocolate - consistency, nutrients, etc) ahhaha

Actually, that's a very good explanation and it really makes sense when comparing it to nick's analogy of chocolate and CDs. I mean, a CD includes a booklet, a case, a print on the CD, the actual CD, pretty pictures, and sometimes enhanced features. The mp3s are very much getting the "flavor" without getting any of the texture.

[rainbowseason]

ya by dling u dont really surportting but everything starts from dling stuff cos if u dont dl u wont get to heard how she's like. many people dl stuff first then if they like her they buy. but yeah dling is really not supporting i can understand.

What i do is i dl ayumis everything then i go and buy it haha X_X i'm werid but dling comes out faster then the real thing at shop. X_X

I'm supporting ayumi i do buy no worrys

[Unimatrix Prime™]

Yeah....it's physical items which I think is stealing, vs. DL an MP3 (and at a much lower quality than a CD) that doesn't seem like much of a big deal to me. If anything, people should get arrested for humming songs or printing lyrics, since that could also be considered as stealing the artists' works !

[Ayame]

Originally posted by sailorboy62
Actually, that's a very good explanation and it really makes sense when comparing it to nick's analogy of chocolate and CDs. I mean, a CD includes a booklet, a case, a print on the CD, the actual CD, pretty pictures, and sometimes enhanced features. The mp3s are very much getting the "flavor" without getting any of the texture.

The CD packaging and extra features are a big part of the fun of getting a CD. Yes, mp3s and music are the most important part of an artist's product, but my opinion is that the CD offers a whole lot more. However, I think few people would buy a CD if they had not heard the artist's music. Most people hear about singers and groups from outside sources, be it their friends, at a social gathering, or--the major source--radio.

Okay, radio is free, but that is how artists disseminate their works. People that are interested will go and buy their CDs. However, most of us Ayu fans don't get access to radio and mp3 is like our experimental medium. Whether one keeps or deletes their mp3s is up to them, but would you say that recording a song off of the radio is stealing music? I personally don't support people that just get free music without buying some of the artist's albums and products. When the artist's music can convince you of their coolness, then buying their CDs is like thanking them for the work they've put into it. But it's not like one has to buy every single CD or have no mp3s.

[Unimatrix Prime™]

Originally posted by Ayame
When the artist's music can convince you of their coolness, then buying their CDs is like thanking them for the work they've put into it. But it's not like one has to buy every single CD or have no mp3s.

That's true.... buying an items means you're supporting them and hoping that they'll continue making new songs, but at the same time, you can still support them by cheering them on at a concert, for example. What I don't get is that if the RIAA and all those types of organizations dislike MP3s so much, then why not go after the blank CD makers and the people who make 20GB mp3 players? If someone has 20GB of MP3s, then surely they have some songs which they didn't buy. I don't get how the blame can be shifted to the people who DL it so easily, and yet none of the people who essentially support such things don't get any feedback.

[kournikova]

hmmm i dont want to interfree this topic... but i think dling ayu's things is legal because you know... ayu's CD's ISNT EVEN SOLD IN SURABAYA!.. if i live in jakarta maybe i will buy all of her stuff but since jkt was far away from sby (singing far away ^^) then i hjave no way to say (singing no way to say) just dling them... the reason i get the cd of memorial address or other cd's is i told my friend to buy it from me wheter he wants go back to sby (he is in sgp) and it is absolutely a rude thing if i keep tell to him to buy all of ayu's stuff... (i will get killed by him) ok?

[dCxAyumi1]

right...well, at least everyone here has a good attitude towards mp3's. you guys (nd girls) only dl mp3's to sample music, then buy accordingly. dat;s great to hear. i kno of people d/ling mp3's even wen they have access to buy the albums, etc. that is not commendable...i commend you people! ^_^...btw...anyone have the scans from the January issue of Cawaii magazine? if u do, can u kindly send them to me? thx!

[Corybobory]

I agree that buying the Cds are more supportive than downloading, but I definitly wouldnt have any exposure to Ayu ifI didnt download (and I definitly wouldnt be able to see her videos)! Living in Vancouver, I would probaby be able to find some of her Cds if I searched Chinatown, but I'm pretty sure they'd be fakes! So the only way is over the internet, which means breaking out the credit card, and I dont really have the money... s I WILL buy the cds... just later when I'm rich.

[quantum_ayu]

downloading maybe synonimous to strealing in many ways, but in many Asian countries piracy is much more of a problem to the music industry than those people who download from the net!!! Piracy is much of a concern to companies who produce them than mp3's.

[AfanforXX]

no clue if i've responded to this, and not to sound rude, but what kind of question is this? of course NOT, especially because many "fans" of some artists own next to nothing by the artist, and have stacks and stacks of downloaded material.

[quantum_ayu]

Originally Posted by AfanforXX

no clue if i've responded to this, and not to sound rude, but what kind of question is this? of course NOT, especially because many "fans" of some artists own next to nothing by the artist, and have stacks and stacks of downloaded material.

i totally agree. it is human nature that if something is free, its good. more "fans" prefer free stuff, rather than supporting their idols and spending their hard earned cash on good quality material.

[jiayulam]

there are other ways to support an artist besides buying their cds....

[quantum_ayu]

Originally Posted by jiayulam

there are other ways to support an artist besides buying their cds....

maybe so. but as long as the artist produces music, their main priority is to sell as much CDs as possible to cover up the production cost and earn back what they deserve in cold hard cash.

[sxesven]

Originally Posted by AfanforXX

no clue if i've responded to this, and not to sound rude, but what kind of question is this? of course NOT, especially because many "fans" of some artists own next to nothing by the artist, and have stacks and stacks of downloaded material.

Trueness. Most definitely.

And then, how's going around yelling 'Ayu is DA BOMB XD' ever gonna support her? Just buy the CDs, shizzle.

[nanami606]

Originally Posted by s1138

I have no way to purchase her music.
The CD stores around here don't carry it.
I do not have a credit card, so I can not purchase items online.
I do not have friends who could buy it and mail it to me.
And more importantly, I can not afford to spend $30 on a CD.

Same here.

NO. mp3 downloaders stink.

[gakkun]

sigh...don't you guys realize that people who only download wouldn't buy the CDs anyway if they could? I mean who the heck would buy such an expensive album by some Japanese artist and in a language you don't even understand?? But thru free downloads, a portion of the people who wouldn't normally buy the CDs are going to purchase it. So there's NO LOSS for the company. There's only GAIN. If we follow you anti-download people's logic, then taping a movie off tv is just as bad and people should should buy the DVD of every movie they've seen.

btw I dare anyone to come out and say that they've never downloaded something without buying it straight after, or they delete the mp3 after they've heard it once. Not many people I presume.

[jiayulam]

Originally Posted by quantum_ayu

maybe so. but as long as the artist produces music, their main priority is to sell as much CDs as possible to cover up the production cost and earn back what they deserve in cold hard cash.

If you listen to their song and spread it around, their popularity rating would increase thereby become more in demand (i.e.more advertisement /movies.) They could similarly earn cold hard cash thru endorsements.

[AfanforXX]

don't defend stealing, it's just plain wrong. if you like an artist a lot, you can still spread them around, but at the same time encourage people and yourself to buy the cds. the advertising thing is just plain wrong, if an artist relies on advertising to get money over music, there's no musical integrity *coughHKpopcough*

if there's no one buying cds, there's not gonna be many companies that would want to deal with the artist. perfect example, sonim. she has fans, many fans, but she got dropped from her label because of poor cd sales due to leechers.

the fact that you can't afford something is no excuse to download. if you can't afford something, you shouldn't be able to have it, it's a slap in the face to the artist that worked hard to make the track and to the fans that actually bought the product. jpop, and music, is not a right, it's a luxury. if you can't afford it, i guess you should be listening to your radio or internet radio stations. the people that buy it and share it are very nice for doing it, but they don't seem to understand that it hurts the artist more than it helps them.

ps, excuse the lack of capital letters, it's early =P

[weijie22]

i dont think it is good
i only download the videos like ayuready
where it is not for sale
i only buy her cds
some out of stock ones....no choice