Ignoring The Kids, Ignoring The Issue

from the fun-with-numbers dept

Can any survey on music downloading that only consults adults really be considered comprehensive? A new one says that 80 percent of people think downloading music without the copyright holder's permission is stealing, while a staggering 92 percent say they've never done it. Looking a little more closely, though, it's not that surprising, as only adults were surveyed. While the statistics will no doubt be jumped on by the RIAA, they conveniently ignore what the kids are doing, and what they think of the current musical environment. For what it's worth, the adults surveyed do give some insights into why music sales are sliding: more than half of people 18 and up say music is getting worse. Three-fourths say CDs are overpriced, while nearly the same amount say 99 cents for a song is a good price (though just 15 percent of people had actually bought music online). So the RIAA and record labels can blame illegal downloading all they want, but it seems pretty obvious that crappy, overpriced product is just as much to blame.
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  • identicon
    Rikko, 2 Feb 2006 @ 9:26am

    1 point for Carlo

    Absolutely right. I've bought one CD in the last 5 years. Why don't I anymore? Two reasons:

    1) They're too expensive and I'll be damned if I line the recording asshats' coffers with MY money.

    2) There's nothing worth buying.

    With those two combined, I find I get by just fine by tuning into one of the many excellent SHOUTCast stations that are free and reliable and ad free. Hell, I even donate to my favourite stations.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Mike, 2 Feb 2006 @ 9:57am

      Re: 1 point for Carlo

      Exactly right. While I bought more than you in the last 5 years (closer to 5 CD's), it's because a couple of my favorite artists released new material, which I am happy to support because I know that I will enjoy most if not all of the songs on their albums.

      I have listened to the albums of a few new artists at friends' houses, and rarely find more than one or two songs that I even want to hear a second time, let alone worth spending $10-$20 on a CD, something I know for a fact can be manufactured for less than $0.50 - jewel case and all.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2006 @ 11:03am

      Re: 1 point for Carlo

      The survey was conducted for Rolling Stone. Last time I checked, Rolling Stone was full of a bunch of pompas jack asses. I wouldn't listen to anything they say.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Phillep, 2 Feb 2006 @ 3:45pm

      Re: 1 point for Carlo

      3) There's nothing worth stealing, either.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tommy Atkins, 2 Feb 2006 @ 9:52am

    Its record labels to blame...

    The record labels are the people who get the money- not the artists- they aren't the ones who complain either. How can a CD in the shops cost £15-£20 but to create your own at home you can do for 20p? And without buying in bulk like they could? So their profit on a £15 CD is about £7, give or take. I'm not paying them that much.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    SuperPope, 2 Feb 2006 @ 9:56am

    ...and we LIKED it!

    Isn't 18 the age where everybody starts complaining that "music these days isn't what it used to be?"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    jack Sombra, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:02am

    Actually the survey does not favor them

    "While the statistics will no doubt be jumped on by the RIAA,"
    Actually it goes against their arguments, that 92 out of 100 people never downloaded illegal music hardly backs up their arguments that illegal music is destroying their industry

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Carlo, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:18am

      Re: Actually the survey does not favor them

      I was thinking more along the lines of how they'll take anything and show it as proof that their efforts to "educate" people on the evils of file-sharing are working.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Christopher Reilley, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:28am

      Re: Actually the survey does not favor them

      Most people use statistics like a drunkard uses a lampost - for support, not illumination.

      Statistics can be presented to validate any view required. Never trust them.

      It is a proven fact that three out of four peopl emake up 75% of this great nation of ours. ;-)

      Christopher

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Drew DeVore, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:29am

      Re: Actually the survey does not favor them

      True, the survey does not favor them. What the quoted statement means, however, is that the statistics are not accurate. The study only measured the opinions of adults, completely ignoring those under 18 years of age (who are the primary culprits of illegal downloading). By only measuring adults, the survey shows an incredible bias AGAINST the RIAA. So, the RIAA will claim that this bias rules the study invalid. And, statistically speaking, they would be right. The contemporary target audience for record labels is mainly teenagers, due to the fact that they are the ones who pay attention to new music coming out.

      As for me, I am whole-heartedly against the RIAA. I feel that most of the mainstream music published in recent years has been crap. However, certain artists do warrant spending money on a CD. For example, Gorillaz (started by Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz of the Talking Heads) is a fairly mainstream band that produces good, progressive music. Despite this, CDs are still way too expensive, and even if I like the artist alot, I will not spend a penny more than $12 on their CD. Therefore, I buy vinyl. Better sound quality, half the price. Not to mention, most of the best musicians out there are not even on huge record labels. For example, The Mountain Goats have released albums on a variety of indie labels. By the same token, the only hip-hop really worth listening to is put out on underground and pseudo-underground labels such as Rhymsayers, Definitive Jux, and Anticon. The CDs out on these labels are generally priced much more reasonably, and the artists are generally the producers and company chairs as well, meaning that the money goes to the people making the music instead of the guy sitting behind the desk looking for more ways to suck absurd amounts of cash out of your pockets.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:39am

    No Subject Given

    i havent bought a cd in over 3 years(except for indie CD's) because music sucks currently(except for a few choice indie bands), and since the riaa ive lost all respect in liscensed music, i will NOT support them in any way or if i can help it, let my friends do it either. Since Stories about grandpas getting sued and stuff i want to see them broke as bad as i want to see microsoft file for bankruptcy by Linux and bill gates begging for spare change on the streets of NYC

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Douche Bag, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:41am

    Why I buy

    I just listen to songs on the radio. Now here's an idea... Pay a few bucks a month to be able to record music on your satellite radio. Kinda like the Dish companies and their DVR's. I rarely buy a CD because I usually only like one or two songs. Why buy the cow when the radio is giving away the milk for free?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2006 @ 11:10am

    No Subject Given

    83.2% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ben McNelly, 2 Feb 2006 @ 11:37am

    No Subject Given

    if 87% of people use statistics like a 1/2 of us think they do, then only 13% of us realy know that no one realy knows whats going on 99% of the time.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      SMG, 2 Feb 2006 @ 12:23pm

      Re: No Subject Given

      Twain:
      there are 3 kinds of lies
      lies, damn lies, and statistics.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        SMG, 2 Feb 2006 @ 12:29pm

        Re: No Subject Given

        oh, and yes it is true that there isnt crap out there worth buying either.

        remember the days of super groups, that would put out awesome album after awesome album?

        those days are gone, bands these days are just trying to have that 1 hit record. this im sure is fueled by the labels trying to make a quick buck, and pressuring the producers to get 1 good hit to sell a cd. then, the producer can move on, with out concentrating much time on all 10 songs.

        link to this | view in chronology ]


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