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What happens when you download music illegally?

Downloading music of the internet is clearly illegal, throughout our lives many of us have fallen victim to downloading music off the internet illegally for our ipods, mp3s and cell phones. But do we know what we are really downloading? There have been many programs specifically designed to download the music that you want these programs include lime wire, frost wire and mp3 rocket and there are hundreds more. Downloading music illegally can get send you to jail and leave you with a massive fine. By downloading songs for free you are affecting the artists and bands that created the music by reducing the profit they are expecting to get from the song or album. Buying music online is safer and more reliable that downloading it illegally because you get higher quality songs and don’t have to risk your personal details. I think the people or companys should close the websites and programs because the artists and bands create music to make a living but how can they when their music is getting given away for free.

When you download a song or an album off the internet illegally you are stealing from the artist or band that created it. Every song you download the artist or band is not getting the full profit they were intending to get. No one knows how much money the musicians will get because everyone has different tastes in music. When an album or song is created the artists, songwriters, sound engineers and Music Company all rely on the music to sell. When you download the song or album everyone is not getting the full profit they were intending to get. So the musicians and company are left with less money to invest in future talent and songs. I think those that put artists and bands music on the internet is sad because they all work hard and rely on the music to sell in order to make a living. But they can’t because it is getting given away for free on the internet.

Many people think that downloading music was harmless but it can leave you with a hefty fine. According to www.ehow.com/list_6131665_consequences-downloading-music-illegally.htmlup people that have been caught have been fined up to $150,000 per song that that they have downloaded. One person that had been caught downloading music was fined $1.3 million. There is a range of consequences from fines, jail time and even writing a letter of apology. In 2009 four men that ran a file sharing website called “Pirate Bay” were sentenced to one year in prison for distributing music for free. Going to jail seems like a reasonable consequence for making bands and artists music available for free.

                                                                                          

The music industry has tried many ways to combat the music downloading craze buy creating online music stores. One of their more successful stores is called itunes by apple, the music industry thought that this idea would make users buy music and download it from their store but it didn’t. Although itunes has sold over a billion songs, users still looked away because why buy the music when you can download it for free off the internet. By introducing the online music stores CD sales have dropped more than 20% since 2006 this is according to techcrunch.com/2007/03/21/good-news-cd-music-sales-down-20-from-2006/. Buying an album at a music store (not online) will cost you around 20-30 dollars but on itunes it costs around $21 for the album and your still paying for the same content except the CD and case. By using an online store you can purchase the songs you want rather than buying the whole album. I buy all of my songs off itunes because I don’t want to risk a going to jail or getting a huge fine.

If you distribute or download music off the internet you are a criminal and at risk of getting a large fine or going to jail so why do it? When you download a song or album illegally you are reducing the amount of money the band or artist was intending to get. Buying music on itunes or on a certified online music store is safer because you get an high quality song and don’t have to risk your personal details. I think buying music at a shop or online is better, because you get the CD and album case and if you buy online lets say at itunes you get a high quality song and a secure download. I buy all my music online at itunes because it’s easier than risking getting a virus and getting caught and having to face the consequences.

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