Making of Classical Music
Classical music is governed by some known conventions that have its roots in a variety of forms, genres, styles and historical periods. These features together go in defining the term ‘classical music.’ Music rated as classical has always made its thumping presence felt. With the evolution of the popular music forms, the dominance of the classical form has not diminished. In-fact, it further magnified with new forms and codes.There are several factors that define Classical Music. These can be classified under the following heads:-Instrumentation – This is one way of classifying the classical genre of music. Different instruments are brought to use for creating the symphony that make it classical. Various string instruments like violin, string, woodwind instruments, brass instruments and other diverse percussion are commonly used to give this form of music a unique style. However, nowadays electronic instruments like electric guitars are occasionally brought to use.Form and Technical Execution – The classical form generally take the form of a song, symphony, dance music, chamber suite, symphony, concerto, electronic music and more. The composition of this form of music requires expertise as a lot of complexities are involved in arriving at a balance between its emotional content and the music that accompanies it. The Classical Guitar Music is one such example of complex composition.Complexity – The complexities involved in making of classical works are not just confined to instruments and beats. But a lot of it lies in the development, modulation, musical phrases and even length and variations of tones. A perfect combination of all these features results in the development of a perfect symphony of music. In-fact, the large scale classical works are built from smaller units of musical compositions.Society – The classical forms of music maintains a repute of being a choice of the upper-level society. The music has never been popular among the working class. However, it is not compulsory as most of the classical musicians fall in the middle class range. The Classical Music CD buyers and concert goers also include the middle class audience.Timeline – This form of music passed through several stages. It has its roots ingrained in medieval times, even dating back to ancient Greeks. The form has evolved a lot in the present age. It still has major time divisions like the Medieval (476 – 1400) and Renaissance (1400 – 1600). Then there is the common practice period that includes Baroque (1600 – 1750), Classical (1730 – 1820) and Romantic Periods (1895 – 1910). The modern contemporary period includes 20th Century Classical (1900 – 2000) and contemporary classical (1975 to current).The form of music which is preserved as classical is primarily a written musical tradition. These written works are then given expression in the form of recordings, oral transformations and musical notes. Music plays an effective role in transmitting classical notations. The written instructions, however, do not have explicit instructions. But, music does help to build the mood of a classical masterpiece. It helps in better understanding of the masterpieces.A great influence of the classical form of music lies in its cultural durability. It is interesting to note its evolution from past to the present form. The form has taken materials from popular music and folk music. Yet it retained its originality and showed up as updated versions of the classical masterpieces.The commercialism of classical music has popularised it among the people. Now, DVDs of the latest versions of classical music are available in retail stores. The prices of the DVDs are kept low and so all income group people can buy the DVDs from the Classical Music Stores. People now need not go to a theatre to watch a performance. In-fact, theatre comes to home in the form of the DVDs.The classical music CDs have made it very simple for people to get acquainted to classical forms of music. Most of the current masterpieces are compiled in CDs and sold in the market. This has made it possible for people to have a library of the classical form of music at their homes.
Making Music Guide Introduction to Vocoders – How to Make
Making Music Guide Introduction to Vocoders – How to Make Electronic Music
Vocoders can in reality be useable and do not necessarily have to sound like a robot. If you’re going to utilise this, you will require two inputs. One being a carrier wave, which’s the sound youre going to vocode through and the second a modular voice, which will likely be yours. This gives a synthesiser sound that is easily recognized and in all sense has been used since the 1960s in common music.
Vocoders have a different number of bands, and the reason being is cause the modulator takes on your voice, analyses the primary parts which’re the fundamental frequencies. Then these are changed into levels of amplitudes on a group of band pass filters. To make your voice much more audible it requires more bands. At long last as these filter signals are carried onto the carrier wave the ultimate sound is emulated.
To reach the basic robot effect you need the modulator to be speech, but you can utilize any thing you want as the carrier and the modulator to get other different sounds. For instance, if you wanted you could run instruments or other synthesiser through the modular in-put. Intriguing results are what you will get. Normally the carrier will be a agreeably huge synthesiser sound, like a string sound or still a long saw wave pad. You could use anything that had a couple of good depth and length to it though.
Hardware and software synthesiser that’re computer presently possess vocoders as common features. Basically you simply get your monies worth, when it comes to developing the sound of a dedicated analog vocoder. For example for around 1000 dollars you may be able to pick up a Roland VP-300 thats in very great shape, but then the old Korg VC-10 can be had much less expensive and solider too. Then don’t leave out the MicroKorg afterall it does have a microphone and its handily small and low-priced simultaneously.
Don’t rule out the talk boxes for obtaining those robot voice simulations, as they dont all come from the vocoder.Then theres that increasingly popular auto tune software or speech synthesis.
There are a lot of software out there that can simulator vocoders. One of them is the use of VST plugins. No matter if you’re a beginner in music software production or a seasoned pro, you will be delighted with the arsenal of effects and plugins available to you online. You no longer have to fiddle with complex synthesizers or software settings. With VST plugins, all the hard work is already done for you…
VST plugins a great resource for those individuals who are interested in music creation and production.
Back in the days, if you were going to do serious things with sound, you needed a bunch of expensive equipment, or maybe access to a real recording studio. With computers, the bar has been lowered considerably.
Virtual instruments have given the home or laptop-based musician unprecedented access to new sounds and new ways to make them.
So go ahead and experiment with new sounds today…
Make Your Own Beats, Instrumentals, Tracks, And Demo Cds
Many people are making an excellent living selling thier samples, tracks, and cd’s, on the Internet and off, even if they’re not with a major record label. Just look around on the Internet. People are paying $30 to $60 for small beat and and sound packages, $50 to $100 for small loopsets and beatsets, $100 to $300 for Instrumentals, $100′s to $1,000′s for complete tracks and samples, and for the few lucky ones like Jay-Z and J D… “Money aint a Thing”! They sell millions of their cd’s. There are thousands of people and even companies looking for new music everyday! Let them hear yours!
Whether you dream of Making It Big in the Music Industry, or are just interested in making some extra cash doing what you love, this article is for you. You will see the resources you need to make your own beats, loops, instrumentals, finished tracks, and complete demo cd’s. You will also see the resources you need to make money doing it. With that being said, let’s get to the part you are waiting for…
Part I: Make Your Own Beats, Instrumentals, Samples, Loops, Tracks, and Complete Demo CDs…
To do this, you will need a few things. First you will need recording studio software. Recording studio software is nothing more than a program that allows you to mix beats, melodies, chords, samples and loops to make your own customized instrumentals and tracks. They also allow you to record yourself as you sing or rap to your track and to make a copy of your tracks to cd.
You can find this type of software all over the Internet. Just do a search for “make your own beats” or “recording studio software”. As you search, you will notice that on average, this type of software will run you between $50 and $200. Don’t Buy Them (you’ll see why shortly)! Now you’re going to need beats, melodies, chords, samples, and loops to customize with your recording studio software, aka: soundsets and loopsets. Again, just do a search for “beats” or “loops”. They usually come in packages of about 200 soundsets for $30 and 300 loopsets for $60, or 600 soundsets for $75 and 900 loopsets for $150. Don’t Buy Them Either!
Alright, so at the minimum, $140 gets you the low-end studio software, 200 soundsets, and 300 loopsets… or if you want a little better quality studio software and more soundsets and loopsets, you can spend about $425 for high-end studio software, 600 soundsets, and 900 loopsets. That’s everything you need to make your own beats, instrumentals, samples, loops, tracks, and complete demo cd’s. But why did I say Don’t Buy Them?
Because you can get it all, the studio software and over 1,100 soundsets and loopsets for under 30 bucks with Hip Hop Starz Record Producer and Mixer Studio (see “about the author” at the bottom of this article). This is an unheard of price for everything you need, and it is of such good quality, I have dedicated an entire page of my Snoop Dogg website to it. It is loaded with many features you will find on the high-end software selling for $100 or more. Also, they are currently holding a Win A Record Contract Contest with Doug E Fresh. Use the software and enter to win!
So now you know how to make your own beats, instrumentals, samples, loops, tracks, and even complete demo cd’s, and this brings us to our next part…
Part II: Make Money Doing It…
There are many, many ways to make money with your own music. The first thing you need to do, though, is break it down into pieces, or components we will call them.
There are 4 key components to any track, or song. You have soundsets, which are nothing more than beats, sounds, scratches, etc. You have loopsets, which are your soundsets when put together in a loop. You have instrumentals, which are completed tracks with no voice or lyrics. Finally, you have completed tracks, which are basically just instrumentals that include lyrics.
When you look at music from this angle, broken down into components, you will start to see many ways to make money with your own. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this report, people are not only paying for completed tracks, they are also paying for the components individually. If you can create you own, good components, people will buy them.
Again, search the Internet for these components. Doing so will not only show you how much you can sell your components for, but also where you can sell them. As long as people are listening to music, there will always be a demand for it, and I can’t see people stopping anytime soon.
If you are interested in learning how to make money with your own beats in more detail, I recommend you check out Bob Bakers website (see “about the author” at the bottom of this article). Bob Baker is a writer, indie musician and former music magazine editor who is dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more CDs and increase their incomes through their artistic passions. He is also the author of the Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook, as seen in the major motion picture The School of Rock … and in VIBE, Music Connection, Electronic Musician and American Songwriter magazines. This is the guy you should listen to. Here are some of the things you will find at his website…
- 197 Promotion Tips, Tricks, and Resources for Independent Musicians.
- 101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet. Supplies the exact website and email addresses for submitting your music news.
- The 29 most important elements in creating sizzling music publicity materials. Make sure your media kit gets noticed by editors, writers, booking agents, program directors, and other industry people.
- 50 ways to promote and sell your music on the Internet.
- And more, including his coveted Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook.
I hope this report has proved useful to you and I wish you all the best as you learn how to make your own beats, tracks, and even complete demo cd’s.
Make Music Beats on Your Computer Fast
A tight beat acts like a magic glue to bind the guitar, keyboards and vocals together. The tempo and rhythm produced by a drummer not only sets the mood for the whole song it also sets the dance floor on fire when performed in front of a live audience.
Thanks to todays technology, you can now combine your intelligence, skills and the internet software to come up with something unique. Just keep the following things in mind.
Listen well to produce well. Know what makes the beats tick and what rocks the floor. Analyze the instruments, high and lows, melodies that are integrated with the vocals.
Make sure you research well by asking some expert or consulting information on the net. Go to popular website and download programs that can help you to make your own beats. Further you can join musicians forums to know of tricks and tips from expert artistes eager to help you out.
Watch the video tutorials provided with your software many times and then practice. Make as many beats as you can and perk them up with different tempos and time signatures to develop a different mood each time.
The software is available to the whole world so try to avoid using the samples and loops too much. Keep your creativity juices flowing and think outside the box. A kick and snare in a simple drum beat can then be uniquely tuned by adding layers. Add layers just as much to keep your music from turning into noise.
Listening To Your Downloading Music Throughout Your Home
A lot of people have their game consoles connected to their TVs. A number of individuals have their consoles hooked up to their PC monitor and do all of their game playing as if they were sitting in front of their computers. This works well if you are playing on the web and are used to playing PC games on the net. But there is a third choice. The majority of the latest flat panel High Definition televisions have an input for your PC, and you are able to run your computer with your big screen television as the monitor. It makes playing music and movies a lot more enjoyable due to the fact that you are able to watch them and listen to them on your home surround sound system. You will no longer have to sit at the desk and carry out these tasks in the most uncomfortable manner possible. You will be able to settle back, with a wireless keyboard and control all of the activity from your coffee table or your recliner. There are even wireless adapters so that you can enjoy your music from your computer anywhere in your house. You no longer have to be weighed down by wires all over the place. Going wireless is an ease that can not be overstated. There are some things however that are unable to go wireless at this time. One of these things is HDMI connections. You are unable to get the utmost def movies and video without using HDMI cables linking everything together. You certainly want an HDMI cable connecting your cable or satellite service to your TV and if you are utilizing a Blu-ray player, than you will most definitely have to be making use of HDMI cables to obtain the absolute highest definition available. If you value the audio and picture quality that you are paying for, than you have to utilize these cables and you will be able to see and hear the big difference in quality. There really is no finer way to view a movie. But, then again, many younger people do not want to be weighed down with having to own and hold a hard copy of anything. They prefer to be able to download everything and even with downloading, you can obtain a virtually HD quality product. It takes a short while longer to download something in High Definition, however you can get a great product and dont need to find room on your shelves to keep any packaging. You just need to be sure that you have ample internal memory on whatever device you’re utilizing since High Definition movies and shows take up a lot of memory.
While Video Cables and audio cables are essential for your home entertainment system, nothing is more valuable to obtain a true HD picture and sound than HDMI Cables. To find the right cables for you look at www.uglycable.com.au. Related Articles – toslink cable, toslink cables, audio cable, audio cables, video cable, video cables, cheap cables, Email this Article to a Friend!Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!
Learn To Read Notes Tips And Tricks Of Reading Sheet
Learn To Read Notes Tips And Tricks Of Reading Sheet Music
Before you can write a song or play a musical instrument, you need to learn to read notes first. Music notes, after all, are part of the music language, just like the alphabet is part of the English language. True, reading musical notes cant be learned in just several minutes, but, the point is, it still can be learned. For more information, advices, and tips and tricks on reading sheet music, read and understand below:
Tip and Trick A: Get to know the so called musical staff.
Whether you plan to play the guitar, reproduce your favorite song on a piano, or wish to actually write a song, you have to be familiar with the staff. People who learn to read notes actually realize that the music staff is one of the very first things that theyll have to understand. The music staff is actually made up of 5 lines and 4 spaces, and that is where youll see the notes either on the lines or on the spaces, often times in both locations.
When reading musical notes, youll also come across the so called treble clef, and the bass clef. In the treble clef, the lines are: E G B D F, while the spaces are F A C E. In the bass clef, on the other hand, youll find G B D F A on the lines, and A C E G on the spaces. Reading sheet music is done in an easier manner based on these clefs if you make use of words to remember the notes on the lines and spaces. For instance, for E G B D F, you can use Every Good Boy Does Fine so youll remember it easily. For F A C E, you just use the word Face, and so on.
Tip and Trick B: Know the meanings of sharps and flats.
When you learn to read notes in order to write a song, you also have to know what a sharp means, and what a flat means. A sharp means that you have to raise a specific note, while a flat, when reading musical notes, means that you have to do the opposite: you have to lower down the note. When youre reading sheet music, youll also notice that the sharps and the flats are placed right after the specific notes they affect.
Tip and Trick C: Practice on a regular basis.
Remember too that whether youre learning music, you actually know music, or are an expert musician, regular practice is important. For instance, if you learn to read notes today, and then, you fail to practice and started the learning process again after a few weeks, or more, then, youre sure to forget what youve learned from your lessons that tackle: reading musical notes. In other words, you have to practice, practice, and practice some more, if you wish to retain what youve learned, and really be able to write a song or compose a song, or play music eventually.
No matter what your age, it is not too late to learn to read notes, or actually take up a course on reading sheet music.
Learn Music Online – 5 Tips that Can Be of
Learn Music Online – 5 Tips that Can Be of Big Help in Learning Music Online
With the advent of the internet, you can actually learn music online on your own and at the comforts of home. You can also learn fast and you can save a lot from paying a personal tutor which can be a little expensive as well.
If you are a music enthusiast, someone who wants to learn music, or someone who wants to master some musical instruments, here are a few things and tips that you may find useful in your quest to become an expert musician or someone who knows music a lot.
1. Learn an instrument. Of course, if you want to be a musician, it is important that you learn how to play a musical instrument. If you are just starting and wants to start by learning music online, then you might want to start learning the piano first. The piano is easy to learn and it is also one of the very basic instruments that can help you learn other instruments easily as well.
2. Find a reliable site that will help you learn music online. One of the things that you need to consider when making business or finding good music tutorial sites online is to make sure that you are in a reliable site that will not run your money. Most often, reliable sites that will teach you learn music online are membership sites that ask for a minimal access fee, but even if they seemed to be reliable than those free sites online, make sure that the sites you are into are not those that are run by fraudulent individuals as well. Read testimonials and always do your research as well.
3. Find sheet music, music resources and even software that will help you master music or learn techniques in music. Proper timing, accuracy and precision as well as learning some musical techniques that will allow you to learn better music can also be learned online. In fact, there are software and computer programs that can be used to help you enhance your musical skills and techniques.
4. Learn from the experts. Of course, the best way to learn the best music is to make sure as well that you are learning from the masters and the experts, thus research and background search your online tutors or get to learn from famous musicians way of making music and draw inspiration from them as well. You may find tutorial courses online that are written and explained by world-acclaimed musicians as well, thus take advantage of this time as well.
5. Set aside time to practice your music. For sure, no matter where you want to learn music, practice is always essential in making yourself an expert. Keep in mind too that regular practice or setting aside a few minutes everyday to practice is one essential part of becoming successful in music.
To learn music online can be easy and convenient but there are important factors that you need to consider as well. One is to make sure that you are learning accurately as this will affect your playing later. In fact, it is important to learn the correct way of playing any instrument right from the start so you will also avoid making bad playing habits that are often difficult to correct later.
Carolyn Anderson is a music enthusiast who improved her skills online as well. If you want to improve your timing, precision and speed in music, check out Ultimate Metronome. Also check out Radio2 MP3 to allow you to record songs from online radio stations.
Learn Music By Improvisation Not Memorization
Music education today has a lot of problems, and chief among them is an overemphasis on memorization instead of improvisation. Study any instrument in any style other than jazz, and improve is likely to be an afterthought in favor of sight-reading and memorizing pieces that others have written and played.
There is nothing wrong with learning how to play a piece you enjoy of course, but it does not develop any of the most important and rewarding musical skills.
Many students of music will go through their whole education without playing a single line of original music. They might even become masters at their instrument without ever exploring beyond what has been placed in front of them in notation.
This will impress most people, and it is not a bad thing to be able to perform music at a high level, but it is important to keep in mind that pianos and other instruments can be programmed to play music, and humans can bring a lot more to the table than recitation from memory.
In fact, repeating things from memory is something that computers and machines surpassed humans in long ago, but right now a computer still cannot write music as affecting and profound as a human can, and they may never.
When most children learn an instrument, they are encouraged by our culture to perform classic works and drill endlessly on mindless exercises that are nothing more than physical dexterity. What they should be learning is how to improvise, which is to say, how to compose.
Improvisation is how all music is composed. A musician aiming to write new music will play around until they have found something they like and then go from there. A composition is just ideas from improve edited, selected, and written down.
The music info given to students these days ignores this unique and powerful form of human creation by being told to drill endlessly to learn purely physical ability on an instrument.
This leads to eventual failure or disinterest as musicians, as they may realize that someone out there is better at reciting the music than they are, or they just get tired of playing the same stuff over and over again, losing sight of why they would want to work hard to maintain a repertoire of pieces that have become chores.
All of the most satisfying elements of music come through in creating individually meaningful original work, but this is something ignored by most teachers. As a result students feel like composition and improvisation are not something they are supposed to know how to do.
They feel like it is something that requires some special gift or permission. The truth is that just about anyone can be a good composer, and everyone should at least try their hand at it.
The joy of writing a song that you love is far more than the nervous and pressure-filled relief of getting through a piece without mistake, which is the grand result of the memorization and recital pushed by music educators.
By improvising and composing even some simple, decent music, a student can contribute more to the history of music than even a great performer, and the evidence on this is clear.
Do you know the name of the greatest performers in history? Probably not, but everyone knows Beethoven and the other great composers. Composing original music is one thing humans do that nothing else we know of can, and it can provide more happiness and feeling for you and others that most other activities.
If you play an instrument and are feeling tired of reciting the same music over and over, give improvising and composing a try. It is not just for some special elite, and there is nothing mysterious about it. In fact, there are really no limits or rules concerning it. Take a few minutes to freely create your own music without any pressure, and see how it can feel.
LDS Music Lifts and Edifies
LDS music is part of a larger genre of uplifting and wholesome music. Such music that can infuse a life with light and goodness.
In For the Strength of Youth, a publication put out by the church for young men and young women, it gives some basic counsel about music in general: “Music is an important and powerful part of life. It can be an influence for good that helps you draw closer to Heavenly Father. However, it can also be used for wicked purposes. Unworthy music may seem harmless, but it can have evil effects on your mind and spirit.” Many have either heard someone say, or have even said themselves, “Well, I don’t listen to the words, I just listen to the beat.” This may seem innocent enough until you consider the very real impact that a song’s rhythm and beat have on us. You don’t have to try very hard to think of scenes in your life where your mood was directly impacted by the tone and timbre of the music playing. LDS music invites the spirit because it is in tune with goodness and light, and is a welcome part of the world’s great musical repertoire.
For the Strength of Youth gives further council, “Choose carefully the music you listen to. Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening. Don’t listen to music that drives away the Spirit, encourages immorality, glorifies violence, uses foul or offensive language, or promotes Satanism or other evil practices.” This direction to make wise choices about the music we listen to is so timely. In a world of violence, degradation, immorality and moral relativism, LDS music is a fresh, uplifting genre that promotes a spirit of wholesomeness and kindness. It invites good feelings and uplifts the soul.
In one of the hallmark talks from an LDS church leader about the role that music plays in our lives, Elder Boyd K. Packer talked about the impact that both good and bad music has on us. He warns, “In our day music itself has been corrupted. Music can, by its tempo, by its beat, by its intensity, dull the spiritual sensitivity of men.” He also instructs, “Sacred music can help us even where there is no formal performance. For example, when temptation comes, we can neutralize its effect by humming or repeating the words of a favorite hymn.” (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Jan. 1974, pp. 2528).
Thankfully, good LDS music exists that edifies and uplifts. In fact, the Lord has told us, “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. (Doctrine and Covenants 25:12.)
Laws for Downloading Music
Many of us love music and we tend to derive a strange kind of pleasure from obtaining it for free. Yes, it is strange that we are excited about the idea of not having to purchase music and feel privileged that we can download it for free. In my opinion, melodious music is the outcome of great effort and creativity; every song is a piece of art, exquisite in its own way, and an innovation in itself. Obtaining music without abiding by the laws for downloading it, is like snatching it greedily without bothering to credit its creators.
How can you say that you love music when you are not even ready to pay the price for it? When you say that music gives you divine pleasure, how can you undermine the effort and expertise behind its creation? How can you not abide by the laws laid down for downloading music, when you claim to be a music buff? I am sure, no one would underestimate the amount of effort that goes behind the release of an album. I am sure, most of you are aware of what it takes to write lyrics, compose music and bring it before the masses in a form that will appeal to them. For me, music is not about being in business; it’s not about making money. It is about communicating with divinity; it is about reaching out to God and gifting Him with something that is an outcome of His gift to you – your creativity.
If you can turn away from the commercial aspect of the music industry and are convinced of the fact that music and money are unrelated, I don’t think you will ever think of breaking the law. Actually, law and love can never come together. Let’s not get into who brought them together and why. The least we can do is to abide by laws laid down. I don’t know why they thought of making them, but let’s resolve to never indulge into breaking them. However, it is essential to know the laws for downloading music, before we make a resolution of not breaking them. Let’s do it.
Laws for Downloading Music
In the United States of America, unauthorized redistribution, reproduction and adaption of music is illegal. When people download music illegally, artists and technicians, along with record companies and music stores suffer financial losses. The Recording Industry Association of America and professionals in the music industry, therefore began filing lawsuits against people who download music illegally. They also conduct campaigns to spread awareness about the consequences of downloading music illegally. The unauthorized downloaders of music are subject to lawsuits as well as criminal penalties. The penalties can vary anywhere between $750 to $250,000. The penalties for downloading music illegally, can also be in the form of up to five years of imprisonment. They vary depending on the degree of copyright infringement.
What are the various ways in which laws for downloading music are violated? Downloading copyrighted music with the use of file-sharing services, transferring it over a network through email or messaging services and placing music files onto the Internet, thus making them available for others to download, are some of the ways in which laws for downloading music, are violated. The acts of both uploading and downloading copyrighted music, without permission from the concerned authority (artist or recording company) is a violation of law. Also, obtaining music from pirate pages, which are peer-to-peer networks facilitating the download and transfer of music, is not legal.
With the steady increase in the number of websites and online portals offering free sharing of music, obtaining music for free is no longer equated with music theft. However, this is a wrong idea. If you are downloading music without having to pay any price for it, better be ready to pay the ‘heavy’ price for that unlawful act of yours. In short, you will have to pay the price; sooner or later.
There are many websites that offer free music downloads. There are several others, which allow online transfer and sharing of audio and video files. Then how are the web users to be blamed? Are the website owners offering download options held guilty? Sure, they are; but it’s not just them. Users like you and me, using these websites are equally guilty. It is we who are encouraging the business of such websites, thereby becoming a part of the ‘steal’.
Those who acquire music illegally, indirectly contribute to the decline in the sales of original music. How many of us are actually keen about purchasing original CDs and DVDs? How many of us bother to buy original music collections? Not many! Most of us have all the time in the world to go shopping for pirated music. We have the time to browse the Internet in search of downloadable music files available for free. But we do not pay heed to give the art its worth by purchasing only what is original.
The laws for downloading music vary from country to country. In some countries, it is legal to purchase a CD and record it to MP3 files for personal use, but it illegal to upload these files on peer-to-peer networks. In Canada, downloading copyrighted music is legal but uploading it is a breach of law. In order to compensate for the losses incurred by the music industry due to consumer copying, extra fees have levied on recording media.
Generally, obtaining music from websites that allow unlimited downloading in exchange of a membership fee, is a legal music download. For example, iTunes, a digital media player application by Apple Inc. facilitates connectivity to the iTunes Store, enabling the web users to purchase and download music. It is legal to transfer songs from an original CD onto a computer, but sharing these songs over networks is illegal.
This discussion on the laws for downloading music might have given you a fair idea of the legal issues involved in downloading it. But don’t you think ethics is much more important that legalities? Don’t you think it is not only illegal but also very immoral to steal music for free? Don’t you think it is wrong to deny giving these brilliant artists their worth? The price we pay for acquiring music is for the priceless pleasure we derive from it. It is a tribute to the talent and effort behind those exclusive pieces of art. If you say you love music, it is your responsibility to not let that love lure you to break the law.