RIAA Propaganda in the Sept 29th People

[Flo]

The one with Johnny Cash on the cover.

Page 71.

I read this crap and literally was sick. This WASN'T REPORTING!!! It was the RIAA's stance on how mp3 technolgy is illegal, which is so far from the truth!

There's gotta be a line drawn between the RIAA and artists of all colors.

To those artists who don't understand digital delivery step to one side, THE RIAA'S, and the others, please step to the RIGHT side where even if you don't understand the technoliogy you see its usefulness and the opportunities.

You decide which side you want to take:

Sheryl Crow:"Music fans cannot expect their favorite musicians to continue to produce quality albums if they are not willing to pay"

Nelly: "If you can afford a computer you can afford a CD."
-------------------------------------------
Moby: "Out of the millions of MP3 files, if someone chooses to download one of mine, I'm very flattered."

Fred Durst: We couldn't care less about the older generation's need to keep doing business as usual. We care more about what our fans want, and our fans want music on the Internet."

[Flo]

Pam, Tom, Jane and Johnny,

I read your "Facing The Music" article in your Sept. 29th issue and literally got sick to my stomach. This WASN'T REPORTING!!! It was essentially an RIAA advertisement on how mp3 technolgy is illegal, which is so far from the truth!

Downloading MP3s is not illegal! Your magazine is read by millions of people and what you just did was exactly what the RIAA would have done given the exposure. How about some fair reporting and a little truth?

Why didn't you mention the 100s 0f 1000s of Independent artists (and many Majors) that are using MP3 technology to promote their music and give something back to the fans who've been raped and pillaged by, as Fred Durst so rightly said, "The Older Genreation's Need", or shall we say greed, "To Keep Doing Business As Usual"?

I've been promoting Indie bands since I left MTV Online back in 1997, and will put 100 Indie bands that I've met, shared their music, lives, success and failures with over the years against 100 Major label bands anyday.

There's gotta be a line drawn between the RIAA and artists of all colors.

To those artists who don't understand digital delivery step to one side, (THE RIAA'S), and the others, please step to the RIGHT side where even if you don't understand the technology you still see its usefulness and the opportunities.

You decide which side you want to take.

One last thing, theres a newly signed Major label band called www.mymorningjacket.com from my town Louisville KY, who are what I like to term a "Fringe-MP3" band. They wouldn't have been signed without the exposure they had through digital delivery of both their MP3s and video footage. They would make for some great/fair reporting.

Editor@people.com

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Remember, Fair Use went out the window with the DMCA...that doesn't mean MP3's are all illegal, but sharing copyrighted ones are.

[Flo]

That depends on the artist John, depending on who you talk to, if its Sheryl or Nelly, then YEAH it's illegal in their world, but what about Weezer, Moby, Will Smith, Evan Dando, and the 1000s of Indies who have ZERO distribution other than digitally?

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Yes, that may be true Flo, but the RIAA is a tool of the record industry, of which all those bands you mention have contracts with one of the labels (who are part of the record industry).

I agree with you on digital distribution (obviously, I run an FTP server for chrissakes!) but at the same time, I want artists to be compensated fairly.  I have long championed a fee based service that allows people to download/burn music, but for a fee so that everyone is happy.  I could not condone giving it away at the artists expense...no one else would get hurt financially that way, and as I know some artists personally, I feel obligated to champion their cause a bit.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

BTW-to set the record straight, I do not charge for, nor do I receive any $$ for the FTP server.  What I put on the welcome file, I mean it!  There is no catch.

I just serve up the files...supply the bandwidth, the computer, and my time.  And all of it is sooooooooooo worth it to help out the cause.  I'd say thousands of people have downloaded files from me-thousands of folks who might just want a taste of the music and who will go to their record stores to buy MMJ music.  And dedicated fans who want to collect shows, of course-you should see some of the email I get!

I just wanted to make that clear, so that you didn't think I was some kind of hypocrite or something.

[my_evening_jacket]

I think there is a differnce between sharing live music and sharing studio stuff.  If the music is readily available buy the music directly from the band when possible.  Live shows can encourage people to go out and buy the studio releases.

[DD]

so what your saying is the 3800 pirated copies of the new jacket album i made should be cool?  im kinda confused here.


ps anyone who wants a copy let me know.  im going door to door with them in my trunk.   :-*

[igor]

bands make most of their money from touring (selling their merchandise, etc.), most of the record sales go to the "suits." but if the record sales are down, the possibility of the band going on a more extensive tour goes down as well, and so does the marketing for the band (interviews, articles, conan appearance ;) etc.). it's kinda tricky, you may be screwing with the labels by downloading an album, but it does in some way affect the band as well.

mp3s have definitely helped countless of independent bands to build a following. a lot of people that do download music, are probably the ones that end up buying cds. there's just too much crap out there to shell out $15 for a cd with one song you like. i shell out the $$$ for bands that deserve it, most of the major labels need to start looking to develop artists, good ones, instead of just signing what's hot. look at the days of dylan, neil young, etc., without the labels caring to keep putting out their albums despite lagging sales, they probably wouldn't be as big as they are now. i don't see much of these kinds of efforts from the big labels. all they care about are one hit wonders that can be played over and over on the radio for a whole year, then they are off to the next trend.

the riaa needs to adapt to the technology, which they continue to ignore. they are wasting taxpayers money right now by taking time away from more important cases to having the court clerks work on subpoenas to 12 year olds that downloaded a sheryl crow or nelly song. it's ridiculous.

oh yeah, i'm not a fan of the riaa.

[marktwain]

Here's my question:

If a recording is not commercially available -if it's out of print, or if it is a live or unreleased track- does the RIAA still consider it illegal to trade the file?

[igor]

from what i think of the riaa, yes, they will go after you. copyrighted material is copyrighted material. it sucks, but i wouldn't put it pass the riaa that they think that way.

[hipkink]

Yeah. That sucks. Honestly, I do download stuff that's out of print. Otherwise, it's not going to be heard at all. Am I bad?
Also, I really agree that if labels started releasing good stuff, people would buy it. One good song is not worth $15 (Unless it's Steam Engine or somethin'). I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say. Artists should be supported, and labels offer that support in a lot of ways. But bands can't exist without fans, so the RIAA is going to need to stop alienating us. THEY need to come up with a better solution than suing people. Anyway... I've bought two copies of It Still Moves so far, so I rule!

[JacketNation]

The solution is simple.  Sell MP3's at a reasonable price (20 songs X 4 minutes per song X .60 per song = $12.00 for 80 minutes of music).  Let people listen before they download.  The world needs:

No RIAA
No Manufacturing
No Distribution
No Retail Space
No kid working the cash register

It's the greatest distribution system ever, out of print stuff can made available at almost no cost just like the latest Nelly crap.  The .60 cents is pure profit to be split by the artist, the label, and the website.  The great thing about Kazaa, etc is it like being in a giant record/CD store with everything (almost) you ever dreamed of right at your fingertips.  I'll pay for stuff, just let me hear it before buying and allow me to pick and choose the tracks I want.

[Scott D]

jekoch21,

I disagree with some of your points...  While I agree that a pay-as-you-download system for mp3's is a good idea, I completely disagree that the world needs "no manufacturing, no distribution, no retail space, no kid working the cash register."  

I'm not a big fan of mp3's, and I prefer to have a CD/record/cassette with a booklet, pictures, lyrics, list of musicians, songwriting credits, etc.  With most mp3's I've listened to, I can hear a difference from the original WAV file.  I like to listen to my music loud on a nice sound system, which further amplifies the sound quality issue.  It's also fun to just walk around a record store for hours looking at CDs - it's just not the same doing that online.  My point is - downloading mp3's is good/convenient/desirable for some people, but certainly not everyone.

"Nelly crap"?  C'mon - Nelly's the man!

She only wants me for my pimp juice,
Scott

[Oz]

Nelly: "If you can afford a computer you can afford a CD."

I totally hate the guy, but you can't deny there is a certain logic in this...

[burrito_brother]

I first heard MMJ via mp3 downloads. How? It was a mistake...an accident.  I was searching for rare My Bloody Valentine tracks a couple of years ago... I own all of their recordings and have seen them live once. I was just checking to see if there was anything out there that I didn't have.  I accidentaly downloaded a MMJ track in the process. It was "hearbreakin man". I LOVED IT! I went and bought all of their available recordings the NEXT DAY! I have seen MMJ twice now (as a matter of fact...last night in Detroit). I have bought two copies of their latest masterpiece "it still moves". One cd and one vinyl. Two copies of the same albums.  My point is that mp3's help promote artists directly. My discovering MMJ was an accident...sure I may have heard them eventually, but it was one single mp3 that made me purchase their entire catalog.  Music fans usually won't tolerate the 2nd rate quality of an mp3 anyway.  If they like it...they want the real thing in their hands. ;) dig?