Music: Download it? Or buy it?

A friend of mine paid me a visit a few days ago.

My friend and I both love music and we had an enjoyable conversation about the new bands and artists we’ve discovered. We were having so much fun giving each other recommendations. Eventually, we began to discuss how we’ve been supporting our “hobby.” I was surprised to find out that he doesn’t buy CDs anymore. He has, instead, began to use torrents to “acquire” the music he listens to.

the issue of music downloads is a very sensitive topic that polarizes people. My take on music downloads is simple — I support it. I admit to downloading music. I just don’t have the money to buy all of the albums that I want to listen to. Besides, downloading music has one great benefit for me — it allows me to listen to an artist that I would otherwise would not have been able to because of a limited budget.

But this doesn’t mean that I download all of the music in my collection. In fact, I buy more CDs now compared to a few years ago. I still believe in supporting artists that I love and those that have come out with significant releases — and I show that support by buying their work. For me, downloads are just a way of testing the waters, so to speak. The moment I hear an album that I love I immediately put it in my must-buy list and save up so that I can buy it in the future. I think that purely downloading music is lame and a big disservice to the artists who produce amazing work.