Legal Music Downloads Help Combat Piracy
While those who download music illegally sometimes view their actions as a victimless crime, new research from the UK's media regulator Ofcom has revealed that the practice costs around 39,000 jobs and losses of 1.4 billion to retailers each year, not to mention the losses to artists who are not being supported for their contributions to the music scene as they once were.
However, even those who have previously been un-swayed by the ethical repercussions of music piracy may soon change their opinions and halt their actions, thanks to new legislation being passed that will see persistent offenders facing severe fines and being banned from the internet. Coming into play in 2011, the new practice may be the final nail in the coffin for illegal file-sharers.
That's not to say that music downloads are a threat to the music industry - far from it. Legal music downloads now account for a large proportion of all track sales, as well as offering a cost-effective and convenient method for fans to obtain the music they love, without having to go through the time-consuming process of buying a physical record, ripping it to their computer and synchronising it to their MP3 player.
Fortunately for law-abiding citizens, and those who don't want to lose their online privileges, there are many convenient and entirely legal ways to stream and download music online without it costing the earth, with subscription-based services offering highly competitive prices - especially compared to the cost of buying a physical album or single in a record store.
In fact, music downloads offer an economical alternative to record companies that are no longer required to press as many physical releases, thus saving greatly on the manufacturing costs. By removing the physical barriers between music and its fans, downloads are a natural step in the evolution of consumer music, and are increasingly being embraced even by traditionalists. Even those who don't wish to pay for music they won't listen to enough have a convenient answer in the form of music streaming, with millions of songs being available to play for free without having to download them to your computer.
There's no future for the music industry if fans refuse to pay for the music they love, but with the closure of illegal services and ever more consumers seeing the advantage of subscription-based download music services, the music of the past, present and future will still be able to delight listeners for generations to come.
However, even those who have previously been un-swayed by the ethical repercussions of music piracy may soon change their opinions and halt their actions, thanks to new legislation being passed that will see persistent offenders facing severe fines and being banned from the internet. Coming into play in 2011, the new practice may be the final nail in the coffin for illegal file-sharers.
That's not to say that music downloads are a threat to the music industry - far from it. Legal music downloads now account for a large proportion of all track sales, as well as offering a cost-effective and convenient method for fans to obtain the music they love, without having to go through the time-consuming process of buying a physical record, ripping it to their computer and synchronising it to their MP3 player.
Fortunately for law-abiding citizens, and those who don't want to lose their online privileges, there are many convenient and entirely legal ways to stream and download music online without it costing the earth, with subscription-based services offering highly competitive prices - especially compared to the cost of buying a physical album or single in a record store.
In fact, music downloads offer an economical alternative to record companies that are no longer required to press as many physical releases, thus saving greatly on the manufacturing costs. By removing the physical barriers between music and its fans, downloads are a natural step in the evolution of consumer music, and are increasingly being embraced even by traditionalists. Even those who don't wish to pay for music they won't listen to enough have a convenient answer in the form of music streaming, with millions of songs being available to play for free without having to download them to your computer.
There's no future for the music industry if fans refuse to pay for the music they love, but with the closure of illegal services and ever more consumers seeing the advantage of subscription-based download music services, the music of the past, present and future will still be able to delight listeners for generations to come.
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