What's Your Opinion on Your Music Being Pirated?

[Elgen]

I got tipped off to the fact that my EP was being offered for download on hhb.org.uk and I had the guy take it down, as I'm still trying to repay the pressing costs.

This got me thinking afterwards though, that I should have just let him keep it up as advertisement for me. Anyone that truly liked it would have (maybe) bought it and at the very least new people or people that COULDN'T afford it, would have discovered my music.

I'm thinking I made a mistake here and that I might get in touch with a couple of download sites etc and see if I can get it up to get some more attention towards it.

What're your thoughts?

 

[Sincock]

Yeah, it'd definitely be good advertising for you. I don't think it would hurt your sales too much at the level you're at, could bring in more sales. You'll definitely get exposure to people who wouldn't have heard it otherwise.

 

[Elgen]

Yep, that's what I'm thinking. Just went I first saw it, the first thing I thought was "Take it down!" haha.

I think for artists in my situation, any exposure is good exposure.

 

[Relic]

Im striving to be good enough to get jacked for my music.

I'd let em leave it up.

 

[38th||]

I agree, it does suck to find your music being downloaded or posted anywhere for that matter without knowing about it.

i personally don't have a problem with music pirates as I think they are better distributors than anyone else...or at least equally as shady. pirates usually just give it away. its like viral music or whatever it is called.

My problem is with the bootleggers, who download it for free, then sell it on the streets for $5 like they manufactured it themselves...complete with artwork and everything. That's when you are getting screwed in my opinion.

 

[Elgen]

My problem is with the bootleggers, who download it for free, then sell it on the streets for $5 like they manufactured it themselves...complete with artwork and everything. That's when you are getting screwed in my opinion.

Truth.

It was pretty awesome to actually have the ep jacked and put on the net though... makes you feel as if you're doing something right.

 

[Relic]

My problem is with the bootleggers, who download it for free, then sell it on the streets for $5 like they manufactured it themselves...complete with artwork and everything. That's when you are getting screwed in my opinion.

Cosign with that, thats some f'd up ish.

 

[Krazyfingaz]

IMO pirates are FUCKIN GOLDMINE if you setup a legit business arrangement.

 

[Relic]

IMO pirates are FUCKIN GOLDMINE if you setup a legit business arrangement.

That would no longer make them pirates, would it?

They call them outlets.

 

[classic]

Man i feel your pain, me and holmz are dealing with the same issue

The smash brother’s album has been heavily bootlegged on the net. I put a Google tracker on our album name and we have received over 17,000 free downloads from Russia blog forum sites alone

Its has also popped up in hundreds of forums, blogs and torrents from china to Greece. Just type
"smash brothers-fear factor"
(with the quotes) in Google and you will see what I’m talking about.

I did the math and made rough estimated. Since December 08 that we have gotten about 15,000-20,000 hits to download our album for free. New links pop up every couple of days.(google tracker)

When I first found out about this I was pissed, I actually logged into one of the forums and argued with the dude that posted the link, in hindsight that was dumb as hell.

Basically holmz sat me down and was like “look we aint make this album to make money, we made it to get heard, and it is getting heard, world wide nigga LOL” A light blub went off in my head and I realized he was right. 5 -10 years ago there was no way some dude in china would be rocking an album made in the basement of a Brooklyn hip hop duo with no label support or budget. Now it’s a new day, if somebody likes your music they will share it, no matter way they are. So ride with it man. If people think your stuff is good enough to share and post then you know your doing something right. Also it’s a good way to get HONEST feedback on your work. Login to one of those forums and ask what they think about your album without telling them you’re the artist. You will be surprised.

You will also be surprised on the type of places that love your music, like I said before we are pretty heavly downloaded in the Russian underground hip hop forums. Almost all the torrents and links to our album are Russian sites. A couple of those sites listed our album as one of the top underground albums of 08, who knew? LOL. So if you can try and find out who is downloading you album, it will give you’re a sense of your fanbase for the future. Try to document it as well so you can have it for future reference.

So yea it sucks your not getting paid, but you are getting exposer and building a fan base, considering that your not signed or anything it’s a win win, now if you’re a signed artist and need to recoup money with album sales, that’s a whole nother story.

Jason aka classicbeatz

 

[Elgen]

Yea Classic, I completely agree with you. I DO wish that I hadn't emailed the guy and got him to take it down. I'm thinking of signing up to a few forums and posting it up for people. Basically physical copies are only being sold in Australia at shows etc... and although we would send overseas if someone bought a copy, it's good to get heard in different places first. Noone's gonna buy it if they've never heard it.

 

[Krazyfingaz]

That would no longer make them pirates, would it?

They call them outlets.

Exactly

 

[Relic]

Man i feel your pain, me and holmz are dealing with the same issue

The smash brother’s album has been heavily bootlegged on the net. I put a Google tracker on our album name and we have received over 17,000 free downloads from Russia blog forum sites alone

Its has also popped up in hundreds of forums, blogs and torrents from china to Greece. Just type
"smash brothers-fear factor"
(with the quotes) in Google and you will see what I’m talking about.

I did the math and made rough estimated. Since December 08 that we have gotten about 15,000-20,000 hits to download our album for free. New links pop up every couple of days.(google tracker)

When I first found out about this I was pissed, I actually logged into one of the forums and argued with the dude that posted the link, in hindsight that was dumb as hell.

Basically holmz sat me down and was like “look we aint make this album to make money, we made it to get heard, and it is getting heard, world wide nigga LOL” A light blub went off in my head and I realized he was right. 5 -10 years ago there was no way some dude in china would be rocking an album made in the basement of a Brooklyn hip hop duo with no label support or budget. Now it’s a new day, if somebody likes your music they will share it, no matter way they are. So ride with it man. If people think your stuff is good enough to share and post then you know your doing something right. Also it’s a good way to get HONEST feedback on your work. Login to one of those forums and ask what they think about your album without telling them you’re the artist. You will be surprised.

You will also be surprised on the type of places that love your music, like I said before we are pretty heavly downloaded in the Russian underground hip hop forums. Almost all the torrents and links to our album are Russian sites. A couple of those sites listed our album as one of the top underground albums of 08, who knew? LOL. So if you can try and find out who is downloading you album, it will give you’re a sense of your fanbase for the future. Try to document it as well so you can have it for future reference.

So yea it sucks your not getting paid, but you are getting exposer and building a fan base, considering that your not signed or anything it’s a win win, now if you’re a signed artist and need to recoup money with album sales, that’s a whole nother story.

Jason aka classicbeatz

So the next Smash album will be targeted to communist comrades and be mainly in Russian and Chinese?

 

[RigorMortis]

i look forward to the day that pirates go and sue the big labels for the free promotion they have done!

 

[classic]

So the next Smash album will be targeted to communist comrades and be mainly in Russian and Chinese?

LOL yep I already got a song i wrote in manderin ready to go!!

 

[Formant024]

if you get picked up that well than i hope you get to the next stage and gain some overseas bookings

 

[Sincock]

lol yep i already got a song i wrote in manderin ready to go!!

让你的手往上边，挥手像你不官一样!

 

[Beatz 101]

Man i feel your pain, me and holmz are dealing with the same issue

The smash brother’s album has been heavily bootlegged on the net. I put a Google tracker on our album name and we have received over 17,000 free downloads from Russia blog forum sites alone

Its has also popped up in hundreds of forums, blogs and torrents from china to Greece. Just type
"smash brothers-fear factor"
(with the quotes) in Google and you will see what I’m talking about.

I did the math and made rough estimated. Since December 08 that we have gotten about 15,000-20,000 hits to download our album for free. New links pop up every couple of days.(google tracker)

When I first found out about this I was pissed, I actually logged into one of the forums and argued with the dude that posted the link, in hindsight that was dumb as hell.

Basically holmz sat me down and was like “look we aint make this album to make money, we made it to get heard, and it is getting heard, world wide nigga LOL” A light blub went off in my head and I realized he was right. 5 -10 years ago there was no way some dude in china would be rocking an album made in the basement of a Brooklyn hip hop duo with no label support or budget. Now it’s a new day, if somebody likes your music they will share it, no matter way they are. So ride with it man. If people think your stuff is good enough to share and post then you know your doing something right. Also it’s a good way to get HONEST feedback on your work. Login to one of those forums and ask what they think about your album without telling them you’re the artist. You will be surprised.

You will also be surprised on the type of places that love your music, like I said before we are pretty heavly downloaded in the Russian underground hip hop forums. Almost all the torrents and links to our album are Russian sites. A couple of those sites listed our album as one of the top underground albums of 08, who knew? LOL. So if you can try and find out who is downloading you album, it will give you’re a sense of your fanbase for the future. Try to document it as well so you can have it for future reference.

So yea it sucks your not getting paid, but you are getting exposer and building a fan base, considering that your not signed or anything it’s a win win, now if you’re a signed artist and need to recoup money with album sales, that’s a whole nother story.

Jason aka classicbeatz

I gotta research that and Google Track my CDs. I understand where your coming from though.


As far as bootlegging goes. I don't care. The money is cool, but you gotta be at a certain level in the game to stress about other people bootleggin' your shit. If somebody is pirating my music right now, even for profit, thats A GOOD THING. As long as they are not claiming authorship.

When people prepare to drop a CD, I don't even think they should expect to break even off CD sales alone. They should be hoping they get some call backs in regards to some shows and interviews. And after they fill up a venue or two and got so n' so thousand people signed up on there newsletter/blog/message board, then crackdown on how your music is distributed.

But if im bootlegged, then im happy. I remember when i was college and i dropped a record with some friends. And I saw a random dude in a white 2-door just bumpin' my stuff. I didn't know him so i don't know how he got the CD but he got it. And I'm still high off that moment.



101

 

[Cell 2Dee]

Yea Classic, I completely agree with you. I DO wish that I hadn't emailed the guy and got him to take it down. I'm thinking of signing up to a few forums and posting it up for people. Basically physical copies are only being sold in Australia at shows etc... and although we would send overseas if someone bought a copy, it's good to get heard in different places first. Noone's gonna buy it if they've never heard it.

Upload it somewhere and send me the link and I'll put it on some of the forums I go to. I'll post a topic there, so give me a picture and the link, track listing too and I'll post a thread about it. That's if you're ok with me doing that, obviously.

 

[skidflow]

Im striving to be good enough to get jacked for my music.

I'd let em leave it up.

thats what I'm sayin...at this point any exposure at this point would only boost my stock.