posted
I posted a thread about this last night and deleted it in order to collect my thoughts.
I just discovered internet radio through iTunes. Greatest thing since sliced bread. See, I live fairly far away from any significant urban center. The only stations on the radio around here are the usual bland blend of top 40 pap with npr thrown in for 'excitement'. Woo. Internet radio allows me the opportunity to hear music that I would never otherwise be able to listen to.
The problem with internet radio is that it doesn't have deejays that tell you what the song you just heard was. Normally you only get a label in whatever program you're using to listen to the station. So, unless I sit in front of my computer listening intently for hours on end, I'm going to not be able to tell who did a song I liked. I won't be able to buy their music.
Enter Ripcast. Ripcast allows someone to record streams of music via shoutcast.
After googling around last night, it appears that internet radio is legal as long as the various licensing agencies are getting their slice of the pie. (Note that internet radio broadcasters have to pay more than 'regular' radio broadcasters. :/) However, it's not clear to me regarding the legality of recording internet radio. Some people say that while it's not exactly legal, it's not illegal, either. For instance, many fairly well known pc magazines have reviews of stream rippers. Other people say it's completely illegal.
It seems to me that ripping music from inernet radio *should* be legal. Even if it is illegal, I am going to do it. My logic is that if I don't record the music, I'm not going to buy the music. Further, it seems illogical to me that one should be able to record off of the radio, but not off of internet radio. Why is one legal but the other not? So, from the standpoint of the artist getting what he wants, that is, money for his work, it seems like recording internet radio would be o.k..
The problem is that htere is a secondary issue of ownership. If the artist hasn't give their permission for their music to be played on the radio, then one shouldn't be able to record it. I agree with this, though it seems counter intuitive. In any case, this is where stations getting permission from the copyright holders, ie the various licensing agencies, I'm assuming, comes in. Their outlook, from what I understand, is that internet radio in general, and recording specifically, is a bad thing because people won't buy the music and they'll lose money.
This, however, is most definitely not the case for me. If I don't record, I'm *not* going to be able to buy the music. edit: and I will buy some of the things I hear.
So, for me I've decided that in this case, even if the law says that I am committing a crime by recording internet radio streams, because I am going to buy some of the music, I am doing more good for the copyright holders than I otherwise would be able to--assuming that they want me to buy their music, which I think is a fairly safe assumption for most artists.
posted
Please note that this is obviously just a very brief overview of the situation. I don't claim this to be a comprehensive examination of the problem or anything. That's why I'm making this thread. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
If you mean the whole cd or album, that would definitely be stealing if I didn't pay for it. I'm listening to IR because I want to be exposed to what other people, who know the medium, think is good. If I just randomly toss money around on one cd a week on bands of a certain genre that I've never actually heard, my chances are pretty good that I will be wasting money. When I find music that I like on IR, I will buy it and download it.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I don't see how clicking a button to copy it off internet radio is different from just downloading it though. The only difference is the medium it goes through is a radio station rather than Napster or a website or whatever.
Although, it's also really not any different from copying music from a regular radio station either.
But, then again, I'd just say all that means is that none of the above is really stealing....
Posts: 2432 | Registered: Feb 2001
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I understand. From a downloading music in general point of view, you are right.
However, I would say that from a profit point of view, sending out samples of music in order that people can buy it (ripcast has that option directly when right clicking on a song), with the artist's permission, is o.k. Whereas, putting whole cds up for download, which obviates the need for payign for the cd, is not.
Keep in mind that as far as I know, all the internet radio stations on shoutcast ARE playing by the rules. You have legitimate radio stations streaming mixed in with people out of their homes.
I guess the significant question for me is why recording from internet radio is any more or less ethical than recording from regular radio.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I think some internet radio stations pay a certain amout to be able to play the songs, like Radio Netscape... So technically, it is probably ok... I should set up another shoutcast server.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Well, they're all supposed to. I'm assuming they all do, since it would be fairly easy to play follow the IP and sic a squad of lawyers on people who didn't.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I think as long as the internet radio station is paying the appropriate people, like the regular radio people have to, it is the same. The problem is some stations are just a person in their basement with a lot of CDs, or MP3s. That I find to be unfair to the artists.
Now, to the issue of downloading music without paying; I feel that even if the artists are making "plenty of money" there are many people who are in between you and the artist that need to be compensated. And how much is plenty of money? Also I just think that if you do want to pay for something, then you should not be able to use it, have it, ect.
Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I know the two stations I listen to no longer have an Internet site at all because of these issues.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Consider that a plug for my favourite channel, by the way. Everything from Asian funk music to The Doors to Rich Mullins to Miles Davis to Dave Matthews.
Posts: 1515 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I think that people should be able to record off of normal radio as well as internet radio, as long as they have permisson from the artists.
Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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See, I live fairly far away from any significant urban center. The only stations on the radio around here are the usual bland blend of top 40 pap with npr thrown in for 'excitement'. Woo. Internet radio allows me the opportunity to hear music that I would never otherwise be able to listen to.
