Music Mania: Is Online Music Piracy Stealing?

The latest John Legend CD titled Evolver is out in various music stores and you just got to grab it! BUT, you’re at home and there’s no possible way for you to run out to the music store to get one. What do you do? Buy it online? Won’t it be too expensive?

iTunes is selling single track or song from various artistes with $99 per track. That’s like RM2.97 per track. But what if you were to be broke at that point in time? Obviously you’ll turn to other alternatives like downloading the full album from LimeWire for free!

And this is considered the biggest crime in the music industry! Online music piracy a.k.a stealing!

The Bowling Green State University is playing their part to curb the habit of downloading illegal files such as songs or videos online by tracking down students using their IP address. If they are caught doing so, access to the internet will be taken away by the University. (Gilbert. M 2008)

You don’t want that to happen to you now do you?

Turn to MySpace Music or Channel V’s AMP!
An extension of Myspace where it’s a website for people to make friends and expand their circle of friends through a growing network, Myspace Music offers musicians around the globe to set up their music profile and to upload their ‘hit’ songs for all Myspace users to listen.

Same goes with Channel’v AMP, it is a platform for musicians to expand their talent and to be heard across Asia. Members of AMP can safely upload songs without having the songs getting downloaded illegally.



Left to right: Myspace Music Logo and Channel V’s AMP (Source: Google Image 2008)

Using both sites, both musician and listeners can access easily to the songs. What’s great is that listeners can download the songs to a playlist and by that meaning more songs to listen to without having to ‘steal’.

With technologies rapidly growing, there are many ways that you can combat online music piracy. You just need to start somewhere. Maybe start from home?

Channel V’s AMP 2008, online, viewed 5th November 2008 < http://amp.channelv.com/>
Gilbert M 2008, BGSU fights online music piracy,online, viwed 5th November 2008 < http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081024/NEWS04/810240326>
Myspace Music 2008, online, viewed 5th November 2008 < http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music>