MP3

Recently, piracy is one major threat to the music industry. Besides the music itself, material production of music devices like tapes and CDs is a great part of the music industry. Afterall the musician's , artist's career is directly based on record sales. The amount of money they
earn, their ranks in charts, and their popularity depends on how many CDs and tapes of their album production are sold. Only the real tapes and CDs that come out of the legal and licensed manufacturer (under supervision their record company) counts toward their sales record.

They get money out of a sale of a legal copy of their album. For every pirated CD or tape, the illegal 'copier' gets the money and the credit instead. Today's advancement in technology allows copying of original production to be convenient and posses great quality. Forms of copied originals range from cassette tapes to computer files. MP3 is the term used for
computerized/ digital song file of an artist production, produced legally and illegally. Unfortunately, there are massively more illegal MP3 than legal ones. These illegal MP3 are sold, trade, and duplicated out of reach of the record company and the artist it was originally
produced by. The rightful owner of these production has no control over their work. They are taken advantage of by the duplicators of their album. A customer gets the same song when they buy the original copy and the illegal copy. The slight difference in quality is ignored when the customer find the digital form much more cheaper and more compatible to wider range of music devices. The popular market, and the convenience in transferring and accessing the MP3 files through the use of computer and internet stress out the poor musicians even more.

Actions have been taken against this realm of mp3 production. Campaigns and begging announcements by artists themselves are everywhere. Many markets arrested but the customers are still out there. Teenagers like us make a major group of MP3 customer. Only a few would feel sorry for the artists and not support of the mp3 production. MP3 production will stop only when people are not interested in it. At this point, it is beyond impossible that the interest in MP3 will stop. Unless we music listeners learn to respect, develop loyalty, truly love the artist, mp3 will cease.

 MP3: Why Limit It?

I'd like to expand more on my concern about the widespread of MP3. I really want to pursuade people into limiting their purchase on mp3. At this point, the existence of mp3 is far out and beyond anyone's control. But I believe a little awareness from everyone can effect the popularity of MP3 market at least a little. In order to help or be willing to help, the person has to be an unselfish and loyal fan of at least an artist. If we think about supporting the artists production instead of supporting the technology and the brain of duplicators, it is more likely that you will want to buy the illegal album of them than a cheaper and pirated one. To have this thinking and to value the artist's benefit, you have to be a fan. As a fan of many bands, I try not to buy the pirated album of these bands. I prefer a set of real CD and informational CD booklet with pictures of band, to the boring, less colorful CD and photocopied booklet. With each illegal recording of an album I buy, the artist gets absolutely no credit for their work because no sell is counted toward their sales record. If they don't legally sell well, they will have low ranks in charts. They will then be at risk of getting kicked out of the record company and you will no longer see them around and get to listen to their work. But with each legal recording copy I buy, not only do I show my support and respect for the band, I benefit a great deal as well: I added another valuable item to my quality music collection. I am aware that not everyone value collecting recordings and that most people just go for the songs and not for the psychological aspect of it. Therefore, I'd like anyone who reads this to try to develop this thinking of valuing a work of an artist.

As mentioned, it is impossible for the production of MP3 to stop, but at least we can allow it to do less harm to the artists career by supporting musicians before thinking about supporting the technology and the 'pirates' (who seek illegal career and gain money by benefiting from other people's work ).