Now this is interesting.

[trashcanman]

www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/10/which-billboard-artists-are-getting-the-most-illegal-music-downloads-draft.html


Now compare that to the following:



This comparison is kind of shitty due to the complete lack of musical knowledge of the people who crunch these numbers (difference between "rock" and "alternative"?) and a couple years separation on the data, but it's what I could find. The article is stupid since it only looks at a few current Billboard artists instead of the entire world of music as a whole for some reason (not to mention: crap writer: "Does Billboard’s Popularity Have Any Connection with Illegal Downloads?"....Jesus fuck what a stupid question), but at least we've got some numbers to work with. Also, just want to point out that I've illegally downloaded classical music before, but since the old stuff is public domain it wasn't stealing. Those dudes are long dead and record labels and copyright laws didn't exist at the time.

[Ben]

Are you sure those charts are correct? What time-frame was used to compile the numbers from the first one? Cause I'm pretty sure there were more than the 1 million odd illegal downloads the pie chart suggests in any of the last 10 years. And the second one not including pop is a little strange considering pop sales would dwarf rock sales, never mind the other pretenders on that chart.

[trashcanman]

No, I definitely can't account for the accuracy, and would probably doubt it given the stupidity and vagueness of the article. "Pop" is kind of a vague term too so I can see them folding it into various other genres (Beyonce is pop, but R&B as well and Maroon 5 is pop, but also could be considered rock by some). The first chart only deals with the top 10 artists on the charts and seeing that I don't know how you could even track total illegal downloads, they're probably using a few sites as sources.

Honestly, if you're looking at TOTAL music sales, I think rock is probably still king. The media always focuses on whatever the kids are listening to now, but groups like The Beatles, Zeppelin, Stones, Nirvana, AC/DC, Metallica, and Guns 'n Roses have back catalogues that may not be on the charts, but they still sell consistently. Plus there's a thriving underground with a shit ton of bands that may only sell a few thousand albums apiece, but all together they add up to a lot. Pop and modern country and all that mainstream crap will never have that kind of dedication so that's what makes up the difference in overall sales, I think.

[The Curmudgeon]

I could believe a lot of this. Literal download figures aside, hip-hop albums are so disposable and largely garbage, combined with the "mix-tape" mentality of releasing this stuff for free that I could see kids stealing this shit for the two hit singles on there and not feeling a shred of guilt about it.

I can imagine rock/alternative fans wanting the physical product more. No-one collects fucking pop or rap singles, for example, but guitar bands use of coloured vinyl, two disc albums and all the rest probably make for a more attractive purchase, and that's not even taking into consideration wanting to support the artist.

The same probably counts for older bands as well. Pink Floyd's latest album sold a ridiculous amount, and that's got to count for older fans wanting something in their hands.

I could honestly see illegal downloads taking a huge dip in the next few years as Spotify and Apple Music continue their strangle hold on the music world. Finding the correct torrent, hoping it's not some terrible remix or fake version, hoping it's not going to kill your computer and then transferring it onto your phone seems like a whole bunch of effort compared to the legal ease of Spotify.

[Ben]

I guess my thought is that rock albums don't go platinum anymore. In 2013, Avenged Sevenfold's new album led rock sales with just under 700,000 sold, if I remember correctly. I'm pretty sure it was the only rock album to go gold that year, too. Then take an artist like Taylor Swift or Beyonce... they're still selling millions when they put out new stuff.

But you guys do make good points. The underground scene isn't a thing in pop like it is in rock, and packaging/collectibility is way stronger in rock too.

Speaking of Spotify and other streaming services, have you guys seen any of the recent hubbub about how little those sites pay artists? It's something paltry like $1000 per million plays (if that).

[trashcanman]

I know Taylor Swift was whining about it, which instantly made me not give a shit. But if that's a real figure, that's crazy. It won't be that way for long. As usual, the entertainment industry is three steps behind technology because catching up is work and if there's one thing corporate management types hates doing, it's actual work. I assume contracts were signed for this stuff and the labels more than likely take the lion's share and give the artists shit like usual. Once everybody's got a handle on how this streaming thing work as a business model, I think things may even out a bit more, but it'll likely end up with higher subscription fees for us in the end.

I was never big on piracy other than considering the witch hunt ridiculous, and I've got no real use for it anymore. This music streaming services is the kind of thing that will kill it as a major cultural force. It's just easier for consumers and everyone will get their piece of the pie. Isn't that easier than trolling Pirate Bay and every other torrent site that pops up trying to track down every tween and hacker who downloads something copyrighted so you can sue their parents?

[Ben]

I was reading up on it the other day and some musicians were claiming even less than $1000 in royalties from a million spins. Like you said, I'm sure it's the labels sucking all the profits. In the brief bit of reading I did, I noticed Metallica had orchestrated a special deal of sorts in exchange for their music. I wasn't able to find any hard details, but the rumor is they traded the use of their tunes for a share in Spotify itself. Probably not a bad move.

[trashcanman]

It's probably going to sort itself out soon like it did with Netflix. Right now, everybody's not really clear how this business model works and Spotify is probably getting more out of it since they're the ones on the cutting edge while record labels are still trying to do the same shit they've been doing for decades. It'll most likely end up with better royalties for musicians, but the selection will decrease and/or the subscription price will increase.