So the new Andrew Bird album, Armchair Apocrypha, leaked on the internet this week. I really wouldn’t have known, but suddenly AB began leaping up the elbo.ws ranking, as seen on the right hand side of this page, and that raised my suspicions. So I immediately went out into the wide world and downloaded it.
Which isn’t it to say I’ve listened to it or intended on sharing it. With some releases I develop an irrational block, and while I’m gleeful at having a copy of the album on my computer, part of the joy stems from it just being there, if I wanted to hear it.
If you do wish to hear it, it’s probably not difficult to find. And even if you’re just looking for samples–I already provided plenty of live excerpts in 2006–you can easily look here for a list of bloggers covering it. It’s not without controversy, however, as a representative of AB has been requesting bloggers hold back on posting. You can read the whole thing here. It makes for an interesting read, with decent arguments from both sides. Not all that I’d agree with, but it’s worth going through.
My personal feeling is that downloads can only benefit an artist of AB’s stature. Those excited about the release and downloading it before the release date were already going to purchase it. Those who were merely curious about his work stand a good chance of falling head-over-heels for it–I’ve only seen positive responses for it so far–and in turn buying it when it’s released. As for those who were never going to buy it, well you can’t really regard them as a lost sale. It’s not always clean cut, but it’s how I feel it is regarding AB. Only time will tell.
Putting sales aside, another argument I’ve heard from some (of my favourite) artists, is that their art is being tainted by listening to inferior quality rips, or only hearing the album piece-by-piece by way of blogs. Then I’d ask those artists to consider that a large chunk of those who’ll support their art will be listening to it via computers, mp3 players, cars, or even just crap Hi-Fis, even if they did pay for a CD copy. And if audio quality is so crucial, why do so many of these same artists then allow audio streams–be they Flash or Real Audio–which are lesser quality than mp3s? How is that a vital introduction to your art?
I know my own view point is pretty warped and irrational in parts. Why else would I download albums then not listen to them? But when you look at it from the angle of artists I wasn’t so passionate about it, then labels would be losing sales from me without downloading. Twelve new CDs have come into my life this month. The majority of which I’d never have touched without downloading them first.
Why trust media? Why trust journalists? Why trust other kids sitting behind a computer? Why trust me? I love writing about music, and I love getting passionate about something and introducing others to it, but words only go so far. The purpose of this site is asking others to listen for themselves. I know too well from personal experience. All I have to do is turn around and face the CD racks behind me, and dotted around them are countless albums from the mid- to late-nineties and early-2000s, of which I was sold on two or three great songs, while the rest of the tracks are dull tripe. I own over 1000 CDs. Lots now sit in uncared for piles because they’re worth nothing to me. Owning EVERYTHING is no longer that important to me. There’s less money to go around, so wasting it on average/poor albums isn’t an option. Therefore, other than those artists I truly trust (Andrew Bird being one of them), I won’t buy physical products until I’ve explored whether they’re something I really need/want. A cloudy issue, sure, but it’s that or I buy nothing. Which would labels prefer?
In the grand scheme of things, the AB leak is quite a small thing–admittedly not to those involved, but still. Also leaked was the new Arcade Fire album, and I still cringe thinking about the Fall Out Boy quotes this week. While I barely know anything them and have only heard one song before, their arrogance is almost enough for me to download their album, not listen to it, and just keep it shared so that anyone can grab it. But I won’t, as effectively I’m lazy.
Anyway, thanks to the leak, it’s now possible to pre-order AB’s album from the American label. If not, you can glimpse the pretty artwork.
This problem is one of the music industry’s own making. They jack up the prices of CD’s to a point where buying the music legally is too expensive. Then they pump the one-hit pop artists like they are going out of style. People aren’t going to throw out $16-20 on a CD of music they haven’t heard before; especially now that you’ve created a one-hook, singles-only culture.
The issue for independent musicians and artists who aren’t indie (but aren’t mainstream either) is that their music will most likely not be promoted through any ‘proper’ channels. In some, if not most instances of independent musicians in the last ten years, it is the ‘illegal’ exchange of their music that got them somewhere at all. Look at the Decemberists. Look at Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah. Look at the Shins – even before Garden State, their music bounced about the internet long enough for them to be heard, and to be liked.
I know that it upsets musicians, for they fear that they will lose sales and that their intellectual property is at stake. But that just isn’t the case. Nobody turns a profit save the artists who gain audiences, fans and new ears: folks who will follow them, see their shows and actually buy their music. It just has to be realized that for music to get around and be heard these days the leakers and the rippers and the pirates are essential.
The Fallout Boy commentary is pretty sad. They don’t get the fact that it’s not just selling records, it’s performing and having fans that actually admire your music.
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