what he says seemed quite relevant...

"There were alot of revelations and epiphanies this year. That usually happens when I'm working hard, and I'm not mad at that, hard work is how you grow. But I definitely came to some conclusions. For example: this was the year it dawned on me that I may never reach the kind of goals I have being on a major label. I just don't think there's enough idealistic industry people around that want to fight convention and try things differently. Or, I should say, I can't seem to find enough of them to fill a record company. It's much simpler for them to just plug into existing channels and pretend to believe, at least until a staff economist tells them not to bother.

We'll save the major-label-as-scum diatribe until another time. However, in a related revelation: downloading is hurting artists, too. NOBODY is selling like they used to. That means artists have to work twice as hard doing more press, more radio, clamoring for more exposure, just to get to the point they got to last time; all the while spending much LESS time making music and being creative. Lets all get real. It may not matter to some country and urban acts because the fan base isn't as interner-savvy. But groups like EI-P, Jurassic, Blackalicious, and myself, who have to scrap for the sales we get anyway, are getting taken out because download penetration is so high among our sales demographic. If you sell 8 million albums, and you loose out on 500,000 sales, it hurts a little bit. But when you sell 200,000 and you loose a fourth of that or more, it hurts BIG TIME. Not because I can't afford that crystal chandalier I had my eye on; but because the labels, already suspicious of these artsy-fartsy, so called musicians like us are going to be that much less inclined to front the money to make the next video, or to support the next tour. Like Spike Lee always used to say, "I just want to make enough money to make the next film." With what's going on now, there's a real threat in our ability to do that with our music. So if you're downloading music, don't kid yourelf. Be aware of the role you're playing in this ever-changing landscape of music, for better or worse.

And please don't buy these cheesy fucking bootlegs (Live in Austin, the Brainfreeze and Product Placement reissues, etc). The people who make them are just exploiting you and me. If you want to download them, fine, I'd rather you did that, but don't put money in these people's pockets, it'll only encourage them to dredge up more inferior product. Remember, these aren't fans that are making them, it's mafia bullshit. You want to copy a CD for your friend? Fine. I do the same thing. Want to press a few thousand and pass them off as legit? You're a criminal. Whew, am I getting to heavy for you? Sorry, but it feels great to communicate these things directly to everyone without worrying how a journalist is going to misinterperet or misquote."

- Jan 2, 2003, DJ Shadow
[This message was edited Wed Feb 5 20:28:31 PST 2003 by NPGMCsucks]

I know I'm not normal, but I can say that having music to download on Kazaa has actually increased my likelihood of buying.

I used to be hesitant about purchasing albums in case... well... in case they sucked. Now, I read reviews of an album, download a few of what they call song highlights, as well as some non-highlights. Then, if the stuff appeals to me, I buy the album.

I have absolutely NO SYMPATHY for pop stars who's sales are going down, because their music is not worthy of being purchased.

If the record companies had it their way, they would be robbing us. How? They try to market this rosie look at stars' music on the radio, we would buy the albums based on that, and then find out that was the only song the mixers and producers could muster worth playing. Hey, wait a second, that's exactly how it is right now.

Few people are just downloading full-length boy band albums out there. For the most part, they are just sampling them, concluding they suck, and then deleting the files. I wouldn't call it theft. I'd call it consumer research, something the record execs are trying to prevent us from doing.

It's a crock, a fucking crock. And it's sad that the only domains I now have to learn about new music are quiet online communities such as this one. It's sad that companies would rather sell what's easy, then to push the envelope with what's good. It's sad that these popstars (not artists, not singers, not musicians, just stars) are being exploited so much, and having their egos inflated even bigger than they already are.

The loss in sales of music is the fault of those in charge of the major labels. They had this coming.

savoirfaire said:

I agree, I download songs just to sample. I am a sucker for having the case and the booklet so buying cheap copies or just downloading tracks is never going to satisfy me. For instance I downloaded a Zwan track just for a taster and now I know, I definately won't bother with the album. But in the past downloading tracks as made me go out and buy the album. I would have to say that if the music is good it is going to sell, no matter how many people download it, if the music is shit then no one will buy it.

Bootlegs suck, the quality is almost always crap and criminals do profit from there sale. Don't buy the black album (oh crap that has been released officially now hasn't it )

People really get tired of buying an album that one or two songs are great and the rest of it is crap. I always wait until I have heard at least three songs off a CD before I purchase it. CDs cost way too fucking much. If record company executives weren't so fucking greedy and corrupt, they would lower prices of the product so people wouldn't feel the need to buy bootlegs.

swiftyweb said:

Bootlegs DO NOT suck,I have a soundboard boot CD from Steely Dan's last tour that sounds outstanding!!!
And there was NO sale,a friend burned a CD for me.

gypsyfire said:

Bootlegs on the whole suck, I have several and they are all sub standard sound. You are lucky that you got such a high standard bootleg. Someone made some money out of the bootleg even if you didn't pay your friend for a copy, and you can bet your bottom dollar that steely dan or metal micky or whatever is name is didn't make a penny from it. (I know who steely dan are really). I suppose it's pot luck really, but I find 95% of illegal recordings are not that great. THEY SUCK