Why?
I am one of the biggest offenders, and I admit it. I absolutely love music and when I can find freebie downloads of great songs or am able to listen to them streamed I pounce on the chance. It's a lot easier to get things online, for a lack of cash, and enjoy the musical brilliance. This, however, is bad.
It is important to support the music artists you love. Most of the bands and musicians you listen to have strived and struggled to get to where they are. The newer and less popular artists are probably battling that struggle right now. Every bit of income from the earnings of their CDs will help them buy new equipment, improve sound quality, record more, and eventually tour. But what about the artists that are already rich and rolling in their cash? Some would think they already have enough money that you can find free downloads of their music and it wouldn't do any harm getting whole pirated CD's from somewhere or someone. This is probably true. But guess what? It's unjust.
What exactly do I mean by that? Well I didn't really care much at first. But even the well-off artists deserve the money for their work. These people, typically, put their hard work, sweat, and hearts into their music. They take time creating powerful, loving, touching, fierce, outrageous lyrics. And then they have to set them to the music and perfect the song, practicing it repeatedly. There is a lot of work and thought put into the songs we love most. Imagine putting all your work and effort into something. Staying up late many nights in a row working on something great to share with the world and make a profit on. …But never making the profit or reaping the benefits. Or maybe you start off with profit and then eventually get nothing from it.
It just isn't right to take the work of people we idolize and use it as we please without the intent to purchase their CDs. In my opinion finding a few available downloads to see if its worth buying is great. As long as you intend to buy the CD. Or finding streamed sources and saying “Wow, I really like this.” And then when you get the chance, buy a CD.
True Fan
I have a friend that helped me realize, whether she meant to or not, the importance of buying the CDs and being a true fan. She is an absolute Nine Inch Nails fan. I've never meet anyone that loved a band more. There is no song by that band that she hates. Some are different to her, or old, but she still likes them. There is a poster of Trent (lead singer) on her wall, and pictures of him strewn about. But most importantly she has a growing collection of NIN CDs. She has a bunch of them. Being a true fan she much rather have the official CDs, a discography of his work, than a collection of downloaded songs she could get for free.
If you really are a music lover, a true fan of music and the artists you have grown to like so well, you will find a way to occasionally buy some of their CDs. Even just one of each to accompany any downloads. I know some CDs are expensive and some people can't afford that (I know I have trouble buying CDs, especially imported ones), but at least try to support the artists. Use legal sites that sell the music song by song for around $1 if you can't get whole CDs.
Like I said, I'm the biggest offender of finding online sources such as YouTube and such. But I'm now set on collecting CDs of all the bands I listen to most. Having a Depeche Mode and Billy Joel CD just feels good. It's as if you have an official collection and can flaunt your love for that band or artist.
Be a true fan, support the artists in their on going struggle and show your fan-side for those that have passed the struggle of being a beginner artist.
