is the internet good or bad for music?
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Topic: is the internet good or bad for music?
Posted By: maninthejar
Subject: is the internet good or bad for music?
Date Posted: April 21 2009 at 14:24
| I feel that the internet is a double edged sword regarding music,on the one hand it provides an outlet for new music and up and coming bands providing free sample downloads and information ,but on the other hand compared to the days when albums were released only on vinyl, I think that some of the magic has been taken away when a new album is released because so much is leaked before hand. |
Replies:
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 21 2009 at 14:37
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im more worried that the concept of the "album" is slowly dying, though it will probably not completely go away. also, i think it's hard for a band to get exposure to a larger audience, since every band and their mom get the same exposure as everyone else on the internet. but its ok, the internet (for the masses) is a relatively new thing still. i think a lot of people are just worried about where the internet will go in terms of development. People were freaking out about TVs back in the day how they will melt your brain and such (and it does....) ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
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Posted By: omri
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 09:50
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Well Darkshade, I think all our worries about TV happened to be true. Most of younger people in the western world are shalow, lazy, prejudiced etc. I blame the parents who let their children watch TV for hours and not TV itself but the fact is the existence of TV made it easy to many parents to neglect their children's education and create a pathetic generation.
About the internet it's not that simple (to me). On one hand it is very easy to be exposed and learn about music and I learned so much in here in about 4 yearsand I would never be able to before the internet (and in my case it led to much more music buying). On the other hand it is going to be much dificult to get rich from music due to illegal downloading which is impossible to prevent. Brian Eno was interviewed a week ago in an Israeli paper and he said it is not that bad. In his words (retranslated) "It was too easy making money from music for a long time. It had to have an end".
To the consumers (us) it is a better situation and those who realy want to make music will continue to do so. There is a possibility that those who are in it for the money will go away and perhaps this will become the antithesis of this generation's shalowness. ------------- omri |
Posted By: moe_blunts
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 09:59
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the internet is the best thing to happen to music since the invention of "recording"
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/moe_blunts/?chartstyle=minimalDarkRecent"> 
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 10:25
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I wish the goddam internet never happened. It`s reduced our attention spans to that of monkeys. As for music it`s not as appreciated anymore as a result of it being right at one`s fingertips. I know of people who illegally download all their music. Nobody can tell me that the internet hasn`t had an effect on the music industry. Once in a while there are some good stories such as this Scottish lady, Susan Boyle, who can sing circles around the likes of Céline, Britney, Amy et al. But they are few and far between. Beleive it or not she had never even heard of youtube prior to entering this Britain`s Got Talent thing. I learned many things in the days before the internet and continue to do so from something that is unfortunately becoming more and more old fashioned by the day. They`re called Books  .------------- |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 10:32
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The internet may have saved music. Small artists can put there stuff out there for free, you can find information so much easier......I find virtually nothing bad that's happened to music from the internet.
Small attention spans should be laid at the hands of TV and movies. I remember watching the new Star Wars I in 1999 and thinking "I don't think any scene lasted longer than 5 seconds before cutting to something else." Lots of the the cartoons are worse than that.
There are no TVs in my house, BTW. My kids read alot. That doesn't make them angels but...... ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 10:34
You do have a point in what you say, but I am always wary of demonizing things which are not bad per se (like TV... I learned how to read through TV, in the Sixties). Are you so very sure that those people who DL music illegally would have really appreciated music without the Internet - or (if they are older) that they appreciated it before the Internet came into existence? Speaking on a personal level, I am very much in favour of the Internet (I would have NEVER met Micky without it), but that doesn't stop me from buying books and magazines and reading them with great pleasure, or from spending quite a bit of money on CDs. And I am sure there are a lot of other people like me around. |
Vibrationbaby wrote:Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 10:47
Yes. Positive: Artists more independent and possibly can get much more profit. More fan interaction, more ease in finding new obscure music (* incredibly key for prog fans), record companies get screwed Negative: Music treated with less respect, people put less effort and get less satisfaction out of finding new artists, in most cases and in general, illegal downloading hurts the artist (but in all honesty, i dunno how much difference it matters when the record companies likely had a similar effect) ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:09
I like the way you put "record companies get screwed" under positives.
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Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:18
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It's a great thing for bands and for fans who want to discover the whole world of music on myspace, GREAT bands that nobody knows about. The only downside is when people steal from bands by downloading illegally. ------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:51
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It did wonders for some bands, say like, Porcupine Tree. ------------- 
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:55
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Anyone here care to remember the days before the glory days ? I.e before the Beatles made LPs / Albums THE form of recorded music ? That's just where we are. Some big stars, very few superstars (new ones in the future that is) many middle level bands making a decent career, lots of small fry shooting briefly through the scene. If you believe that the period of 1965 to 2000 is the norm, please inform yourself. Many many many events coincided to blow the industry up to the massive size it attained from the 80s to the 00s. Some cultural, some social, some financial, some (unfortunately) corporate & commercial. The web, if anything has simply opened up the world to musicians & fans. No need or place for gatekeepers like major record labels or music mags. Niche means nothing, because most genres were & are niche. So please, this Eden described about record stores, record company advances, "golden ages" is mostly the result of "things were better in the old days" thinking. The thrill of the search is there whether you're doing it on the internet or the record shop. The big break achieved by the few overshadows the undeserved obscurity of many that were doomed by the indifference of record company promo departments. The web , on the whole, is, and has been good for music. Period. Not perfect, not without some negatives. Just better. So if you miss the days where Backstreet Boys ruled, where second rate Pearl Jam copyists sold millions based on a hit video, where Dance singles ruled MTV & Radio, where the Osmonds commanded major fanbases, then ... your world & welcome to it. The golden days had their share of sh*t. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:57
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good for music bad for our souls and mins ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 13:27
i agree. Im sorry, i was trying to come off sarcastic in the last paragraph of my post, but i was a little tipsy when i typed it... i only watch about an hour's worth of TV a day, if i watch it at all. But you're right, it's turned my generation, and the next one, into dumbed down piles of meat. and the internet does not help!!! i think it's worse than TV could ever be. what with AIM, facebook, myspace, kids spend sooooo much time on these things, you wonder why so many young people think they want to kill themselves all the time, and are sooo melo-dramatic. They get no sunlight!  but seriously, like the OP said, the internet is a double edged sword. Though i think it's better than TV could ever be. The internet DOES provide a LOT of information, and for a music fan, the possibilities are endless. I hate people who have 75GB of music and it's all illegally downloaded. And a lot of them have it just to have it. C'MON! but music itself has not become worse because of the internet. If anything it HAS gotten better. Since the late 90s or so, many bands (a lot new) have releases a lot of quality music that we havent seen in 30 years. It wouldnt have happened without the internet, because a lot of those bands wouldnt have gotten past 1-2 albums due to lack of exposure/finances. But with the internet, those bands can THRIVE, release their own albums on their website/myspace and list tour dates (i dont even know how people found out about tour dates before the internet...) and give fans pictures and info that wouldnt fit on liner notes and cd cases. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 13:36
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btw guys, i almost fell in this trap, but this is not an internet thread, this is a MUSIC-RELATED THREAD, and how the internet affects the music scene. im sure there are threads about the internet in general around here somewhere. sorry for sounding like a mod, haha, but i like this topic, and dont want it to go off course ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 13:39
Very good summary here. And I'd say generally, the positive attributes outweigh the negatives. ------------- 
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 13:40
have you noticed the lack of artists and bands going nuts because they're losing money due to illegal D/L? it;s the record companies who are going nuts. maybe big pop stars are complaining, because instead of getting $5,000,000 they're only making $1,500,000 boo-hoo   ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 14:00
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I hear scalpers will be trying ti get up to $10,000 for Mike Jackson tickets for the 2,000 concerts he`s going to be performing in London. I think Mike has a lot of legal bills. Maybe he should buy up all the tickets and scalp them himself.
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 14:58
inb4 Rachel rages.  Pendragon, it seems isn't doing too hot (but again were they before downloading? I think maybe a bit better off) Marillion as well kinda needs the preorders to record the albums, but they're probably better off than Pendragon. But they've been doing cool things like that since the very late 90s, I think, before downloading was entirely pervasive. Remember, prog artists more than 90% of other genre artists are more susceptible to downloading ills, because their potential fanbase for touring is much lower than an indie artist, generally. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 15:59
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^^^ i think thats why jam bands are thriving in this decade. they dont need album sales. someone on another thread was saying what is this decade's peak in music (ex. 80s - metal, 70s - prog/art rock, hard rock, 90s - grunge, indie) and i think it's jam bands. There's a lot these days, making a lot of money from touring and offering soundboard recordings of their shows online. for example, i saw Umphrey's McGee recently. I paid $37 for a ticket, and another $10 for the recording. And im just one person. (i actually paid $16 for the recordings because if i bought the show from the night before at the same venue, i saved 15%  )------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 16:25
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I don't see how anyone can honestly say the internet has been a net negative for music. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Matthew T
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 17:17
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The Internet has been one of the best things to happen for music. Without it I would most likely never known or heard half the music I have. It has put one giant music shop in my house and the information concerning music has been phenomenal that I have obtained.
I can not see the concern some artists have of music leaking as it only brings your music to a wider audience as it enables people to hear it. The majority of artists make their money from touring not selling albums. It is only really the big bands who make money from music sales.
For the the unsigned bands and any other of the lesser known musicians it has been really the only way for them to get their music out there as radio stations are not what they used to be.
I still buy albums though and I have never paid to download an album as I would rather a pressed copy and not a burnt MP3 format with no proper cover. ------------- Matt |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 17:51
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good topic.. a double-edged sword it has been and some of the magic is gone, but on the whole it's been a positive I think. Not just for newer acts, but also access to old stuff that would simply be impossible to track down save a worldwide music-buying tour. Not to mention this wonderful and strange and worldwide electric club we all share. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 18:37
I second what Matt and David said  . A few weeks ago we added an excellent band from Puerto Rico, Trili, to Heavy Prog - their debut album (which comes in two parts) has been released as a download (though they are planning to release it on CD too), and the feedback from those who have listened to it has been overwhelmingly positive. They are only one example of the many up-and-coming acts who are taking advantage of the web in order to make their music available. While I, like Matt and many others, would rather pay to own a 'physical' CD, we should never discount the importance of the Internet for real music lovers - music on the web is not just about illegal downloads, even if that seems to be the most visible phenomenon (as negative phenomena all too often are). |
Posted By: boo boo
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 02:37
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Both. Good in that it allows people to discover and access music they never could have before, bands can now advertise themselves for free through Myspace and other websites. I also expect more bands to do what Radiohead did with In Rainbows in the future. And of course there's also the fact that I haven't bought an actual CD in 3 years.
Bad in that the internet has given a lot of people license to be idiots. It does seem to have decreased the attention spans of younger people and that makes it harder for them to appreciate different forms of music, not just prog either. And people also feel less inclined to do research about music topics ,they just quote wikipedia whenever they feel like it, I admit I'm guilty of it myself sometimes. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs/?chartstyle=LastfmSuicjdeGirls" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 03:23
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Posted By: omri
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 10:17
My own impression is that idiotism is an ilness as old as humankind. It's not the internet that make us fools but us fools that use the internet (and so many other things) not wisely. Bands like Air suply or Modern talking (those of you who do not know these bands - you did not miss a thing !) were popular much before the internet so we should blame ourselves and not the tools we are using. ------------- omri |
Posted By: Lucent
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 10:20
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Personally, I think that track selection should be somehow restricted for idiots who don't appreciate the music. I know! Vinyls! ...Nah, that day has passed. I love the internet mainly because of sites like this which can recommend me various albums and get me into new types of music. I hate it because it grants the freedom for morons to commit piracy.
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Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 10:23
 I've not yet processed all the albums in the database, but I've finished the 70s and 2006, 2007 and 2008. It's nice to see that today much more albums are being released than in the 70s ... gives me a lot of confidence that music will survive even with all the illegal downloading that's going on. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 10:33
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For those who seem to think that someone is an idiot because he cannot or will not take time to "appreciate" certain music (usually assmed to be a given - i.e. prog) ... have you ever thought that the music fan, the listener , how has access to so much music, that they no longer want to bother with good music, or having to listen to an album umpteenth times to like it. There are loads of great music out there. That includes prog and other more complex genres that may require more attention to "get". For fans of those genres, the same applies. There is enough great music out there, that you don't need to spend time on music that is just good. And personally, if someone thinks that separating the wheat from the chaff is something that needs to be done in an intense process probably has too much time on their hands. Never mind the crap, try out the good, but no need to settle for anything but the best. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: boo boo
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 10:40
True, the internet doesn't make people stupid, it just gives them a license to be stupid.
What makes the internet great is how much you can learn and explore new things with it, unfortunately that's not what everyone uses the internet for.
The fact of the matter is people check their brains at the door when they log in, meaning that even if you're a decent person in real life, you could still come off as a stupid douchebag on the internet. A lot of people have the idea that if you say things to other people you'll never meet in person, there's no consequences to anything you say, which is true for the most part, though there are mentally unstable people who do take it too seriously and therefore it can have real life consequences. But there's a lot of things you can say on the internet that you can't get away with saying in real life.
If people in real life talked to you like the people who comment on youtube, you'd either beat that person to a pulp through blind rage or you'd seriously think that person was functionally retarded. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs/?chartstyle=LastfmSuicjdeGirls" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 13:37
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The internet is great for music.
It's ok for artists.
It is very very bad for those slimey people who try to exploit artists.  ------------- 
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Posted By: boo boo
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 13:45
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I think the internet will benefit artists greatly in the future. I don't expect many mainstream bands to jump ship from their record companies like Radiohead did and let the internet do all the work for them, at least not for now, but I think that's the inevitable future. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs/?chartstyle=LastfmSuicjdeGirls" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 19:40
Care to compare these slimey people to Major Record Labels ? If you knew what Bo (Diddley) knew, you'd know better. ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |