Stupid question about MP3 downloads (and Röyksopp)

[Doulton]

I'm a shameless software pirate, I've been downloading songs for years before graduating onto the bigger stuff. I've never felt bad about getting music this way because I've always told myself that the music I download is stuff I wasn't going to buy anyway, so the artists aren't actually losing out on any money. Plus I don't often want whole albums, just certain songs.

Recently I realised that's probably no longer true, and there are some less-known bands in particular whom I feel I should support monetarily if I like their music. In particular I wanted to buy a couple of albums from Röyksopp. If you don't know who they are, they are a Norwegian band who can broadly be labelled as Electronica, though their music is quite diverse, in my opinion.

But the things is I don't actually want to buy a physical album. I listen to all my music in MP3 format for convenience now, and it seems wasteful to buy a CD I'm never gonna use.

So my question is, does anyone know if there's a significant difference in the proportion of money that makes it back to the band members if you buy one versus the other? Physical versus digital? And more specifically, are there any sites/online means that give a greater profit to the artists than others? Or any other reasons to use/avoid any particular sites for download? In general I like to avoid the fat cats and support the little guy where I can.

And since this threat is so boring, I've decided to cross-breed it with a Röyksopp introduction. I know their music has made it to the UK and US, but I'm not sure how well known they are in those countries, so I thought I'd give them a little plug.


The first three are all from the album The Understanding. They have two newer albums, but this is the one I'm hooked on right now.

Alpha Male: This is an instrumental song, so you can give it a go while you browse and it shouldn't interrupt too much. The video is just a fan-made one, I think. Don't know if it actually has an official video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTFPIwS5DL8

What Else Is There?: Cool video, the woman seen to be singing is a model, the actual singer is the other woman who shows up later in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpkXtM-VI8&feature=fvw

Only This Moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90GR25U8qtc&feature=related


Sparks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyMPZ_s-7M&feature=related

This last one is from Melody AM, their debut album. I could have chosen just about any song from that album as they're all excellent, but went with this one cause it's lesser known and demonstrates some of the variety they produce, I think

 

[Debbie]

Sorry can't help you but wanted to say hi to a fellow kiwi!

 

[Doulton]

Guess I should update my location, since I haven't been in NZ for years now, but I am certainly a Kiwi, so hi back!

 

[Debbie]

Guess I should update my location, since I haven't been in NZ for years now, but I am certainly a Kiwi, so hi back!

Once a Kiwi. Always a Kiwi.

 

[Liar]

So my question is, does anyone know if there's a significant difference in the proportion of money that makes it back to the band members if you buy one versus the other? Physical versus digital?

Dunno for all artists, it depends on the specific deal between the artist and/or songwriter and the label. But generally, artists get the same amount for a piece of sold music these days, no matter what the media may be.

And more specifically, are there any sites/online means that give a greater profit to the artists than others? Or any other reasons to use/avoid any particular sites for download? In general I like to avoid the fat cats and support the little guy where I can.

Afaik, some of the major digital services, like iTunes and Amazon, have bargained down the prices, which means less profit for both artist and record company. But it's marginal for mainstream artists, so shop wherever the hell you like.


Oh, and hello from not-at-all-a-kiwi.

 

[SuprSalor]

CD's (and DVD's) are being phased out already in favor of digital media. There's still a recording industry involved of course so how much an artist gets is still dependent on the deal they make. I think its pretty much a standard rate but It does vary a bit.

If you want to avoid the "fat cats" like iTunes or Amazon, there's this site which is cheaper than those. It requires registration but its free. Also you can listen to the whole song or album instead of a 30 second sample...

http://www.lala.com

I'm registered as helmsman if you'd like to check some of my collection..

 

[PoppingTom]

The first three are all from the album The Understanding. They have two newer albums, but this is the one I'm hooked on right now.

Alpha Male: This is an instrumental song, so you can give it a go while you browse and it shouldn't interrupt too much. The video is just a fan-made one, I think. Don't know if it actually has an official video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTFPIwS5DL8

What Else Is There?: Cool video, the woman seen to be singing is a model, the actual singer is the other woman who shows up later in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpkXtM-VI8&feature=fvw

Only This Moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90GR25U8qtc&feature=related
Sparks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIyMPZ_s-7M&feature=related

This last one is from Melody AM, their debut album. I could have chosen just about any song from that album as they're all excellent, but went with this one cause it's lesser known and demonstrates some of the variety they produce, I think

How can you forget their greatest hit "Poor Leno" ??

 

[Doulton]

How can you forget their greatest hit "Poor Leno" ??

Like I said, I could have chosen any song from Melody AM, but I have a crush on The Understanding right now, and wanted to avoid the better known songs from their debut precisely because people are more likely to all ready know them. Poor Leno rocks.

Thanks for the info SuprSalor and Liar, and I will check out that site

P.S. Is that pic from Cowboy Beebop, Salor?

 

[phrodeau]

If you want to give the band money, buy a few t-shirts. if you want to help promote the band, wear the shirts.

http://royksopp.com/roykshop-brand-new-t-shirts-available-online-now