It's probably because some of those artists actually work to make their music (ie write the song, make the beats, etc) for your entertainment and people are just taking it for free. But I agree. There are enough people out there still buying to keep them living the life they do.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They don't really make much money from their music. They mostly get their money from tours and merch.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

All the more reason not to be upset about it :) besides, you think they'd just be happy that they're living their dream of being a famous music artist, rather than caring so much about money!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I know. They should be grateful they're living their dream, the dream that a million other people want to live too!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

exactly!!! goddam they're spoiled, eh?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Vets want money? They should be happy fulfilling their dreams of helping sick animals, not worrying about money!

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Vets don't usually have that much excess money. When you have excess, you shouldn't bitch about having less excess.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Not all artists are rich. But I agree with you if were talkin about artists like Katy perry or something.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Well then, if you will just buy one and steal the other, buy the cd for once and steal the groceries. It's only fair.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

They got rich because people bought their music. If everyone downloaded it for free, they wouldn't be where they are now. Maybe one person downloading it for free isn't so damaging, but think about it - you're not the only one illegally downloading it. If every song cost $0.99, then if one million people illegally download it, that's nearly $1mil gone.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Actually, sometimes pirated music actually helps the artist. Very little by comparison is made from album sales, but rather advertising and concerts. You can't pirate a concert and the ads come with fame, which gets more with more people listening to your music, which more people will do if it's free.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

i like how, by our logic, because somebody has more money than you, they deserve it less than you. the stupidest argument one can put up is that because they already have so much money, they don't deserve to be paid for any future work they do. artists put effort into making music that people think is good enough to put their hard earned money into, by downloading it, it's like stealing a McDonald's burger because they have enough other customers. this stealing only works because in the online world, everybody thinks they are invincible behind their moniters.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It's not that they don't deserve it. They do. They just shouldn't complain about not getting it. Need=/=deserve, so you can deserve something, but if you don't ned it, or if it really wouldn't improve your life, quit bitching if you don't get it.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

of course it would improve their lives, and in their own way, they need every dollar. celebrities live a certain way because they have to in order to maintain a public identity that we expect from our entertainers. if celebrities don't put on a show of how much money they have people automatically think that the product that they are trying to sell is so subpar that they can't make a living from it. you think people like Jay-Z tip things like 50 000 for fun? it's to keep up appearance. and in any case your argument is flawed because like any other service, you get what you pay for, no more no less.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It won't improve their lives. Their bank accounts are practically too big. If such a thing exists, theirs would be good examples. If I had fifty mil in excess, an extra ten bucks wouldn't improve my life because I already have more than I know what to do with. If I made ten mil a year, but should be getting 20mil, I wouldn't be mad about it because I already have pretty much all I want and I need like 5mil to keep up my lifestyle. Any more is extra and I would probably donate it to charity.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

the fact that you said that if you were making 10 million when you should be making twice that wouldn't infuriate you is beyond ridiculous. and that's what is happening with each "ten bucks" being taken away. no matter how they use it, if they want to donate it to charity, or if they want to hoard for the rest of their lives, the basic premise of your argument doesn't make sense. it's a service. just like any other. if you can't afford it, you don't get it. people seem to believe that just because the crime is happening online, it isn't as serious. you wouldn't walk into a music store, pick up a CD, tell the cashier you aren't paying because the artist doesn't need your money and then leave with it. why is this any different?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Because the CD store cannot still sell the CD to someone else, so online is literally half as bad. You steal one thing if you go online, but at a store you steal one thing AND prevent its sale.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

by arguing that it is okay to download music without paying for it, you are literally preventing milllions of sales a day. the amount of people willing to steal in real life is dwarfed by comparison to those who would do it online. secondly, this isn't a reasonable argument at all. if you get arrested, they won't charge you with 2 thefts, one of you stealing AND of preventing a sale.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I think it's wrong, but since I wont get caught (the police only look for the original uploaders, not the downloaders) I do it anyway. Partly because my parents don't let me spend 'my' money.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

then i've brought to a point of sensibility where you realize what you are doing shouldn't be acceptable by society, and if it wasn't for the mere difference of the internet, you wouldn't do this because it is wrong. good discussion, gives me hope that the shield of anonomity isn't a complete murderer of human thoughts.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

If you couldn't afford groceries, how could you afford a computer/ipod?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

OYu can afford groceries, but not if there's a continual outflow of money for music.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

So basically, stealing is OK as long as its from rich people.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Didn't Robin Hood teach you anything?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

If you can't afford music then don't buy it. Just don't steal it either.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The idea that all musicians are rich is idiotic. Your average touring band or artist that isn't Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Kanye, etc is FAR from rich. If you think about it, they tour for a living which isn't a "real" job. They don't get benefits that a lot of people who hold a normal job do. The band/record company has to pay for venues, supplies, the equiptmwnt, and everything that they have to pay for comes out of the money that they make touring. Then you have to split the resulting money between at least 3 people + record company, but there are usually more band members. It doesn't come out to a lot. I read somewhere that it comes out to like $30,000 a year or something like that. So yeah, there are excessively rich musicians who can afford you to steal their music (though it doesn't make it right) but most of the musicians you're stealing from may make less than your family does in a year.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

This is why I like people who release their music etc. independently with no big labels. Jim Gaffigan and Louis C.K. released their latest specials online for $5, and instead of having to pay off the record companies etc. pretty much all the money goes to the artist. More money for the artist, less cost for you...it's a win-win. Another example is Trent Reznor releasing a NIN album for free on his website, some musicians aren't greedy.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I agree that it's stupid that they get mad about it, but your argument is a bad one.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

How has no one mentioned that south park episode yet?

by Anonymous 11 years ago