The other week, I read in the Washington Post that the RIAA is now suing a man for copying CDs he owns onto his computer:
In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
Excuse me? The RIAA thinks it has the right to tell people what they can and cannot do with their personal property? I think the RIAA is out of control, and I hope they get creamed in this court case. So are those of us who have never downloaded songs illegally supposed to live in fear of using our iPods? I don’t take kindly to being threatened in my own home for using my own belongings. So much so, that I may stop purchasing music altogether until this case is settled, and I can be sure the RIAA isn’t going to sue me for listening to music. I already own more than I listen to, and most of the new music I hear on the radio simply doesn’t interest me.
And anyway, who needs the RIAA? With the growth of the internet, there are now many sites that offer musicians a place to sell their music directly to the public. One of these is Magnatune.com. I learned about them, because they distribute a free podcast of their music. Yes, that’s right–free music available for legal download and use as many times as you wish.
I was looking for flute music on iTunes one day when I came across them, and I loved the idea of being able to download and listen to entire songs. See, it takes me a while to figure out if I want to listen to something repeatedly. The thirty second clips you can hear on iTunes don’t cut it. As a result, I only purchase songs I already know I like from hearing them on the radio.
Unfortunately, I really don’t listen to the radio anymore, so my opportunity to fall in love with new music is extremelly limited. Therefore, I’ve mostly puchased songs that are decades old from the days when I did listen to radio. But here was Magnatune, offering me the chance to listen to their songs as many times as I wished, with only a short blurb at the beginning and end of the podcast to remind me who was so thoughtful as to allow me to listen to music for free. You know, kind of like back in the days when I listened to radio.
Friday evening, I was doing my nightly exercises and decided to play one of the flute podcasts. I’ve listened to that particular podcast about 10-15 times, I think, and this time, I noticed that the second song was incredible. I loved it, and it was the perfect mood for the exercises I was doing. Huh, I thought. I wonder who does that song, and if they have other songs I like? So I looked in the details of the podcast and discovered the piece was by Suzanne Teng. In fact, as I looked through the three flute podcasts I’d downloaded, I discovered that my favorites were almost always by Teng.
Bingo. Now I wanted an entire album by Teng, so I could listen to song after song of her work, without being interrupted by the work of other musicians. Those other musicians are also good, of course, but hearing the podcast repeatedly had moved her work from the “like to listen to occasionally” to the “must own” category.
I went to Magnitune.com and was thrilled when I read their conditions for purchase:
1. They allow you to listen to entire albums to help you decide if you want to purchase. Good thing, because I actually ended up buying a different Teng album (Mystic Journey) than the one I originally intended to buy. I like the songs better. Being able to listen ahead of time built a lot of goodwill and also made it much more likely I’d actually buy.
2. I got to choose how much I wanted to pay for a download. The range was $5 – $18 (Note: you can also choose to pay in British pounds or Euros). The dropdown said $8 was typical. I paid $10. 50% of the sale goes to the artist, and I’m so gosh darn happy to have found a music vendor that treats me well and isn’t threatening me that I figure they and the artist deserve a bit more than “typical.”
3. I’m allowed to give three friends full, free copies of the album I bought. That’s right. Three people I know can either download the same full copy I have, or I can cut them a cd. I already know two people who like this kind of music, and they both want copies. Of course, I bubbled about how much I love Magnatune.com when I was talking to them, and told them about this wonderful arrangement and how much sense it makes to buy from a place like Magnatune.com instead of that mean old nasty RIAA that wants to sue me for listening to music I’ve purchased.
Will these people go on to buy their own copy of a Suzanne Teng album? Will they eventually buy another album from Magnatune.com? Who knows. All I know is that when I’m allowed to fully enjoy songs, I become hooked on some of them. When I become hooked, I want to be able to enjoy them whenever and wherever I want. Reaching that level of enjoyment means I want to purchase, because I do care about supporting artists I appreciate. What I don’t care for is being threatened and feeling intimidated and unsure as to whether I’m going to get in trouble over something I purchased legally. RIAA has now left that doubt in my mind, and I’d just as soon not do business with a bunch of goons who are behaving like Maffia hitmen. I’m going to make more effort to find independent companies like Magnatune.com and purchase from their artists. I want to enjoy my music. Not look over my shoulder wondering if I’m going to be sued for thousands of dollars.
No, I am in no way associated with Magnatune.com, and I don’t get any money for telling anybody about them. I simply know a good thing when I see it, and like anyone who has found a bit of music they love, I want to tell everybody. Seems like the RIAA would understand that’s how the business works. Oh well. Can’t teach souless corporate dinosaurs a darn thing, can you?
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