The article mentions that they're more willing to buy "digital files", not physical ones.

This one though has made lose a few minutes reading it, kind of interesting actually.

Because less non-pirates are buying CDs. I know no-one that buys music anymore, barring the odd folk that hunt down albums because they're that much more into it.Also, a lot of people are now cherry-picking songs from the likes of itunes, or at least that's the suggested reason. If you doubt the validity of the study, it says in the article that pirates had to show proof of purchase. As for Century Media, they are attempting to crush a perceived threat.

PS: @ Krav

That's OK, it's your stance and I respect it. Although I have to say that if I'm googling in order to download it's usually stuff from smaller labels rather than big ones, and that's due to personal taste. I can assure you though that it's easier to find a quality MP3 rip than a streaming one, and honestly I don't even listen to YT streaming because it sounds like shit most of the time. People complain about MP3s being compressed but streaming sources are more often than not shittier than MP3s.

It can happen that one downloads more than one can chew and that the "to buy list" gets increasingly larger, though that doesn't mean it will be put on halt. I've discussed this whole "do we have the right to download or not" issue with Napero via PM and the fact is that in a perfect world everyone would have enough money to purchase everything they really want and some more to be able to commit errors, i.e. buy shitty albums by accident. Matter of fact is that reality tell us otherwise and I have too little money to be spending it on trial and error runs. So do I download to avoid that? I do. Am I doing something wrong? Objectively speaking downloading illegally shared albums is wrong, but doesn't the fact that I only do it for personal use (instead of divulging it to friends and acquaintances) and to be able to know what to buy or not compensate that? Some will say it does and some will say it doesn't. Have I bought everything I've downloaded and haven't deleted because I liked? Nope, but I still intend on doing it despite how much time it may take. So does that make my actions condemnable in the end? Some will say it does some will say it doesn't. I don't actually need to justify myself as I could very well just say "fuck you I do what I want" but I'm a pretty rational guy that is able to see both sides of each question and find some truth in both of them.

If people are doing to download the albums anyway, and labels know this firsthand, why not stream the whole upcoming album for a week or two? Let people know what they can expect and cut them off after a while so they buy it if they want to listen to it.

That's a pity, because you'd be right if you did.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/ap ... more-music

those who download music illegally are also 10 times more likely to pay for songs than those who don't

To show that you can listen to ICED EARTH completely legal at all times, please share this Spotify album link for our newest album 'DYSTOPIA' as much as you can!

http://open.spotify.com/album/2qaldG8mSTZIrKbKFTxeTg

In the days of cassette decks, you could record songs directly off the radio and I myself made many mixed tapes this way. Was this "stealing?"

If you dubbed a vinyl record or CD onto a tape, or copied a cassette version of an album, was this "stealing?" Back then, very few people, including most of the recording industry themselves(!), would have agreed that it was.

Now, suppose someone was to go and print up some bogus cassette sleeves, and make multiple copies of these aforementioned dubbed cassettes, and sell them themselves. Even back then, industry people would have had a problem with this, because this would involve illegally profiting off someone else's work. It was the same issue with bootleg releases- the wrong people making money off of an artist.
. Whatever the ethics of it are, I canNOT support Century Media over this!

If someone stole something from you would you be upset as well. At the rate I have seen some people download music and movies, I have seen thousands of dollars stolen from these people. You are taking food off of their table. I hope any and all of you who abuse downloading get caught and prosecuted.

I feel sorry for anyone who is being sued for downloading this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Siubz3wJ9sc

So, if I go an record a song on a cassette radio/tape deck that's on the radio, am I guilty of "Stealing" or "Taking money off someone's table?" I don't think so.

I think the ethical issue rests more with UPloaders rather than downloaders. People who upload these songs to share sites for other people to download are far more guilty, and if the record companies really want to crack down on file sharing, these are the people who they should go after. But as it is, it just souds like they are trying to nail the little guy just to "Make an example out of them."


Ridiculous, bad policy, bad publicity, just...a bad deal all around.

I think the ethical issue rests more with UPloaders rather than downloaders. People who upload these songs to share sites for other people to download are far more guilty, and if the record companies really want to crack down on file sharing, these are the people who they should go after. .

As much as I agree as well there's always to consider the fact that search engines can (and more importantly should) only block results shown and not limit the search patterns. There's a fine line towards censorship right there if companies start banning keyword input from web searches. And we already see blocked results on Google due to copyright claims for a long time.

They licensed it from Black Sun Records and put it on a disc with At The Gates' first EP without telling the members other than Tomas Lindberg. Tompa mentioned on the ATG DVD that their contract with Black Sun was terrible and the royalty rate was something like one cent per record, so I'd guess BSR owned the full rights and didn't need to inform or pay royalties to the other band members.

Big corporations have lawyers, lawyers make money by taking people to court. And when people like them will do anything to keep there job, the little guy gets fucked. Unfortunately its more popular to have a big wallet then a sense of justice and fair treatment of your fellow man.

While cd sales are down from illegal downloading, I think it's more down because people are buying digital albums instead.

http://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/

Not really sure about that.

On the point of distribution, I have several distributors (RED, Code 7/Plastichead/Sound Pollution). In the case of Code 7/PhD, they have suggested manufacturer's prices and I mark my releases to them a pound less than what they suggest. This is on top of the shipping costs them in the UK, the manufacturing cost (purely the cost to manufacture) and all the other things that go into a release (advertising, recording, mixing/mastering, artwork, royalties, etc.). Plus, if something doesn't sell and it gets returned to me, I pay for return shipping and return fees per unit.

People hear how much CDs cost to make but don't realize there's a lot more that goes into it. Honestly, the money from the distributors isn't what keeps me going as the per unit profit isn't much but it's the thought of moving some units and getting it out there for people to see/hear. This promotes the bands and the label and this eventually gets more people listening (hopefully). Ultimately, most of the bands have one goal...to play more shows. So I try to accommodate that by attempting to get their music out there. Digital download sales are very poor in this niche genre of metal (I'm sure this is different if I released stuff that was a little hipper but I don't cater to the iPod crowd) but I still have it available digitally. I'm not in the business of selling singles.

I'm sure CM has an end goal of what they want to achieve. Obviously my goal is a little different. I don't have to pay rent for large buildings, salary for a bunch of employees or pay bands like Iwrestledabearonce or Destiny Potato.

Theres only two stores where I could physically buy a cd now: Best Buy and Slackers(independent store that has metal). I went to best buy a few months ago for the first time in at least a year, and the music section wasnt even half the size as it used to be. I went there to get the new Six Feet Under album and I browsed the albums and the only metal albums I even noticed were some Slayer ones. The only way to even buy metal cd's is online.
As far as promoting an album, I dont think bands need much more than facebook and their own site. And artwork, the only artwork that really impresses me anymore are shitty underground death metal bands(jon zig, especialy).

And artwork, the only artwork that really impresses me anymore are shitty underground death metal bands(jon zig, especialy).

Missed this one too. Just because something doesn't impress you, doesn't mean it doesn't cost money.

A guy like Rich Friend (who did this album cover and does work for DC Comics) isn't going to spend over 120 hours to pen and ink a piece like this for free.

This is incredibly ignorant. The problem is the enormous penalty in the law, not greed.

Century Media IMO releases some of the worst music of any heavy metal lable. Not sure why anybody cares about this. Seems to me like century media is about to go out of bussiness and they are making a last attempt to bring in some money before the CEO's pack up ship.

The 'industry' might work without labels? what if every band drop their contracts with labels to simply get a Bandcamp profile and sell their stuff directly to the fans? the problem is that since you can get 'ilegally' stuff for free, why you would pay for it? I don't think like that (I download the albums that I can't get by any means), but many people do so. Since downloaders are not going anywhere, CM is doing what they must as a business: to protect their interests from the people who's 'stealing' from them.

Why should a band waste there time making a new album when people going and illegal download it? Why should a label give them money and so on?

But when you illegal download stuff it makes it harder and harder to get music you like.

You know a funny thing about that law? If you're DJing music at a club the law requires you to have the original CDs to be able to do so, at least it does in my country. And yet you're taking advantage of music that doesn't belong to you and that you bought for personal use and literally broadcasting it to an audience, and more so you're doing so in order to get a profit. OK, not a direct profit from the music but indirectly from drinks and whatnot, while people are listening to the music.

Even the laws can be contradictory you see?!

That's a really good question. I guess there's no reason because obviously everyone just sorta stopped making albums.


Wait, downloading makes getting music harder? Sounds kinda paradoxical to me.

Then don't by there stuff. But when you illegal download stuff it makes it harder and harder to get music you like. Why should a band waste there time making a new album when people going and illegal download it? Why should a label give them money and so on? You wonder why some bands never come to different places? The band and label see the figures of the people the buy said CD in said area. If the sells are low why come?

Then don't by there stuff. But when you illegal download stuff it makes it harder and harder to get music you like. Why should a band waste there time making a new album when people going and illegal download it? Why should a label give them money and so on? You wonder why some bands never come to different places? The band and label see the figures of the people the buy said CD in said area. If the sells are low why come?

I never said I buy their music, also I never said I download music, I really believe that they are going out of business and are trying to salvage every last penny before they do it. Seems like the last ditch attempt of a desperate company right now.



Because not ever band has the money to work on there own. It's costs money to make the CD.

Then they should get real jobs and fund their music that way, I will never feel sorry for some jerk who wants to make money playing or selling music and nothing else, and can't afford to do it.