[Disussion] "Why do you buy songs when you can download them for free?"

Sarath

iDota
This is not a question to you guys, it is a question that has been posed to me. But then I would like to know what to answer that will make sense to anyone who will ask the same in future.

It all started when I was waiting in the car and suddenly a song occurred to me, I fired up the Flyte app on my phone and found it and got it for Rs.8/- Later that day, I played the song to my friends and told them, I had just bought the song, how cool is that. This happened with 3-4 people on seperate occasions that they asked the same question as to, why did I buy it when I can get it for free. I just said, I don't know, because I have money or I like buying stuff. It was all sarcastic or trying (I know) to be funny. But I never gave a serious answer 'coz I don't know what to say.

What would be an appropriate response?

I would also like to share that one of my friends is a professional singer in the Kannada music industry. Since I do not understand the language, I mostly just enjoy the tune but it is thorough proffessional and meant for movies. Even this person asked me the same question as to why I would buy music CDs when I can download them. I was quite stumped. I could only utter that they are better quality.
I thought it would be more obvious to her, since she can't make a living no music due to the rampant piracy in our country and has to resort to some IT job.

The world is an interesting place and the people in it, more so.
 

roady

Digital Marketer
We, specially Indians, are used to free stuff. Due to low-efficient cyber laws since 2000, we are not scared of doing illegal things online. Even today, the situation hasn't changed much. It has, but I'd say that US cyber laws are really, really way more strict now, whereas the Indian cyber laws are in the 'laggard' stage.

This is what I'm usually asked about when I buy something online, something which otherwise I can get for free. And all I got to say is - If I have the money, I WILL pay for it, IF it's really worth it. I have started buying songs now. My friends laugh at me. I don't give a **** about them to be honest. If I feel that a song is great, then I must duly give the credit to the owner/song writer/ music record label in the way they want - and that is money.

Once upon a time, I too was in the notion that if you're getting something for free, then you're a fool to pay for it. Today I have realized the importance of skills. Human Capital.

Just my opinion.
 
OP
Sarath

Sarath

iDota
The problem with the Indian scenario is that the money we pay for songs does not benefit the singers in any way.



 

Flash

Lost in speed
My hypothesis would be:

Majority of the people will only spend their money (hard-earned/easy money whatever) on things, that they really need & love and mainly, it should last for long time with them.

1. First, they will check whether one will available for free.If yes, they will blindly go behind not.
2. If not, they will check for any Discounts. If yes, they will buy it with the happiness that they've saved some money.
3. If nothing is free/discounted and they really loved it, they will buy it with happiness, but with a little desperation that the price of the product could have been less.

This happens in most of our daily shopping experience - Be it Softies (Song/Music/Game/Softwares) or Hardies (Electronic items/Stationery/whatever that is actually a product).
Though, we can't pirate a Hardy, one can do easily with Softy, with the aid of internet + little knowledge.

Since Softies were of sort of one-time use, people won't buy with the thought that

Music - I'm not gonna hear that album/song forever. Just one time. If it's bad, am gonna delete it. So, better buy headphones for good music.
Movie - I'm not gonna watch that DVD again. It's gonna be a one-time. Lets buy, home theater for better.
Games - I'm just gonna play this game only one time. Why spend money. Instead, lets buy better GPU/CPU for gaming.
Software - That's too costly. I can't even buy that, with my whole month salary. So, lets use pirated.

So, people will tend to have higher preference towards HARDIES. That's my view.
 

Ronnie11

Judgement Time!!
sometimes you like to support the artist by paying...i have bought many indian rock/metal band cds to support them...do buy few international cds but then they really have to impress me... :D
 

Hrishi

******************
I think people don't like to pay for non-materialistic things.
FOr E.g. [Many are ready to buy Laptops with pre-installed Win8/WIn7 , but if the same thing is sold separately , most of us will avoid purchasing the Windows OS.]
I have seen people buying music CDs/ DVDs but rarely saw someone buying music through Internet.

Plus if you are getting it for free then why pay for it ?? [ This is a common thinking.]

IDK , how much benefit it does to the singer/artist when we pay for their music , but still people make living on it. So they need to be paid.

When DIgital music /MP3 files were not so popular , people used to buy cassetes and CDs for listening to music.
 

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
uh have had this argument, might be a little tangential, but this would be my reply,
why do you have to download songs when you can stream it for free
between saavn, shoutcast, grooveshark and 8tracks, think it is impractical to pay for songs, have a "collection" or pirate music
plus, there is too much free stuff directly at the sources. *www.electronykpodcast.com/ pretty much has all the popular tracks. no need to pirate. no need to pay.
better to just pay for a good internet radio service, if at all you want to invest in music, best bang for buck
 

arijitsinha

﴾͡๏̯͡๏﴿ O'RLY?
Yeah, but what would you tell people, why are you buying music? :)

Nothing you can do to make them understand. Just frighten them, The site you are downloading contain virus,malware. Your PC/mobile might get infected. Your bank/mail/fb account might be hack. Give them these kind of stupid reasons. :p :twisted:
 

Vignesh B

Youngling
I agree with Anorion's point.
Usually this is what happens to me most of the times.
Me: Hey, I bought this song/software etc.
Friends: You are an idiot, why do you buy when you can get it for free.
Me: Piracy is equivalent to stealing.
Friends: Then, why do we find free content on the net?
Me: There are no free lunches. Like that even in a grocery/stationary shops etc. things are kept freely. That doesn't mean you can steal them because you can do it.
Friends: Lol, rofl! :D :D Philospher (and all other such kind words)
Me: At least respect the music director. Huge amount of work goes into creating music.
Friends : hahaha..
Me: If you can't buy, no one has ever said that you have to listen to that song/see the movie/use the software.
At least you can use online streaming apps.
Friends: Hahahahahahahaha
Me: The high cost of songs/softwares is due to piracy only. If people start buying, costs will come down.
Friends: You are a fool.
Me(highly pissed off): If you can buy a smartphone worth 35k, PC worth 75k, you can definitely purchase a song worth Rs 6.
Friends: Why, when it is available for free?

And thus this loop goes on again, with whomever I meet.
:evil: :evil:
This goes on forever. People never understand.
But still I become happy, if I could even convert 1 out of 100 to the ethical path.
Happily, I was able to change 2 people(my parents!)
 

RCuber

The Mighty Unkel!!!
Staff member
I have previously told this and I would quote again "People will buy or choose not to pirate only by choice." I chose not to pirate after I started my job and understood how exactly piracy would affect a company or a individual. also it doesn't matter if you earn a lot, I had colleagues who earned a lot but still pirate, when when I asked the question their reply was the same
"Why buy when its available for free" I listen to many indie artists and purchase it from couple of sites where the money directly goes to the artist.

Right now the only way I see the artist earning some money is via GSM services like caller tunes and ringtone downloads, but i'm not sure how much money the artist get in the end.

I went clean on Software and Games from sometime, also I am purchasing songs most of the time.

So its only the choice of the individual and that cannot be changed unless they change their mentality.
 

logout20

Journeyman
i pay for good music because whenever i listen some good music like "nothing else matters",riders on the storm,swanand kirkire's "maula tu malik hai,tracks from bombay,roja,1942 a love story,coldplay's charlie brown,green day's insomniac,bryan adams...i simply love it and when you love something how can you let it die....

The problem with the Indian scenario is that the money we pay for songs does not benefit the singers in any way...

we cant help it ..but at least by buying music we can impose record labels to hire that artist again..this is the reason why sony nigam and kumar sanu is still there in era of computer generated shith@#d voices..

...pehla ye pehla pyar tera mera kumar sanu - YouTube
 
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