The music industry need to innovate, not terrorize.

[Statikk HDM]

With all of these lawsuits flying around over burning and downloading, I think the music industry needs to wake up and smell the Morpheus. People are no longer content to pay 18.99 for a CD that costs pennies to make. Here are the ways the music industry can get its act together and get customers.
1. Stop screwing the artists
I think most people realize downloading doesn't really hurt artists that much. Artists are making pennies to the dollar on CDs, basically putting their hearts and souls to CDs so a rich jerkoff suit can get even more money. Pay more royalties, dammit!
2. Kill the Clear Channel beast
People are fed up with this crap. Nobody wants this except rich jerkoff suits who stand to make more money. Free the DJs to play what they want to play, don't be so anal with playlists. Search out new talent and sounds. Nu metal is over a decade old. People thought it sucked then, they hate it now. Innovate! Stop playing the same 3 Ozzy songs, put on Mr. Crowley! Also, Ticketmaster sucks. Stop charging exhorbitant prices and don't cancel on bizarre whims. Sell excellent merchandise. If Pantera and Anthrax can figure it out, a billion dollar company can.
3. Give us extra features and prizes.
If we're supposed to pay for something that we can get for free, give us reasons. Pantera, Anthrax, Primus and other bands have been giving bootlegs, overseeing compilations, and giving out DVD content with their newer CDS. Now its time for the entire industry to get on the ball and give us free stuff. Make every hundredth CD come with a free, great-looking t-shirt. Have posters samwhiched in the liner notes. Auction off guitars, amps, and gear. Once again, if Cap'n Crunch cereal can do this, you can to.

[oddguy]

I'm really against downloading illegally off the net. Maybe because I want make movies for a living and...oh yeah, stealing isn't right. I don't care if it costs pennies to make a CD, the artist and people behind that CD are making music for the public. If they don't make money off their music, we put them out of business and in the end are just hurting ourselves. This applies to movies and games as well. Illegal downloading off the net is a growing problem and if it doesn't stop we may not have all the great entertainment today in the future.

-oddguy

[Statikk HDM]

Bollocks. I bet most musicians don't even get paid 5 dollars for every CD they sell. But just to be fair, lets assume they do. Now, I'll give 4 dollars for development and 3 dollars for liner notes, CD, and case, and 2 dollars sheer profit for the people producing and promoting the CD. That should come out to 14 dollars. Why do CDs cost 16, 17, 18, sometimes over 20 dollars? Do they think we can't do simple math? If they want to screw me, I'll go one better and screw them. And if I got good, fair prices on tickets, radio stations that don't blow, and prizes and extra content with my CD I'd be glad to pay 15 to 20 dollars. But if the music industry wants to keep on churning out crap, I'll flip them the bird and download.

[oddguy]

You forgot about the cost of Distribution. Those products don't just show up at the store by themselves. So...it's fair to say that most CD's are justly priced. Plus, electronic stores have good deals on CD's if you look for them. Also...New Releases on movies usually have a special "first day out" discount like at Wal-Mart. So, your argument doesn't hold up. Nothing justifies stealing. Period.

-oddguy