Controlling the Use of Digital Content

What is Digital Rights Management?

Throughout most of history, the piracy of music was never really an issue, however, not that we have entered the digital age, consumers are able to copy and share music with friends very easily. People were then able to burn CDs and duplicate them as they pleased. With the illegal downloading of music being so easy and accessible these days, Digital Rights Management (DRM) aims to control the piracy of music. Copyright holders aim to control the distribution of this music so that it cannot be easily digitized and passed around without charge. DRM refers to the ways that companies plan to control this distribution using technology.

How does DRM work to stop the piracy of music?

DRM works to stop the passing around of free music by using technological means such as movie studios that include a software on their DVDs that limits the number of copies that could be make of that disc. CD companies have a similar tactic in which they include software that confuses piracy software in order to protect the music from being duplicated and shared multiple times. Websites such as bearshare.com avoids these copyright issues by using a peer to peer method which allows users to share a song with one person. This is completely legal and does not violate any copyright laws. However, many people use illegal websites instead of these peer to peer ones because they might find it to be simpler to use. Therefore, every time someone illegally downloads music, that record label and artist loses money.

How DRM effects my daily life

Digital Rights Movement does not particularly effect my life, however, it does effect the lives of people who rely on illegally downloading music in order to have their songs on an iPod or mp3 player. These consumers would think that the DRM should not be able to have total control over music download. I personally do not use illegal websites in order to download my music because I know people who have been caught doing this and have been fined a lot of money. Therefore, I stick to buying my music off iTunes, legally, to avoid getting involved with sites that might get me into a lot of trouble with record labels or production companies.

To Pay or Not to Pay?

With today’s generation becoming more and more dependent upon technology, the music scene has followed and become completely digital as well. Websites like Limewire have allowed listeners to download music completely free, and completely illegal, so who wouldn’t want to surpass spending hundreds of dollars on music when you can get it all for free? People are always finding differing ways to find free music online, so why don’t these artist’s post their songs for free download? Well, its simply because without the revenue from websites like iTunes they would not be able to afford to produce and record more music. 

Although famous artists do not allow free downloads, this is only because they already have a large fan base who knows their music and are willing to pay to download it. Without these followers downloading their music legally, they would not be able to afford the recording costs. With that being said, if I were an emerging artist attempting to build a following, I would not offer my songs for free download, however, I would post a song that can be played or sampled. In order to gain a fan base, as well as make money for my talent, I would post my song to be listened to on the website, however in order to download it to your iTunes the listener would have to pay to buy the song, charging only one dollar. Hopefully, if the listener enjoys the song, they would proceed to pay to download it along with other songs that I release.  

Websites such as http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com/emergingartists.php allow emerging artists to post their music on the website’s blog in order to display the newcomers talent. The artists from Six Degrees Records such as, Rara Avis, Zaman 8 and Hafez Modir, are new artists on the music scene who are trying to obtain followers, and you can listen to their tracks one the Six Degrees website. Six Degrees Records has released the Emerging Artists Sampler Vol. 1, the first release in the series. This website gives these artists a place to showcase their music so they can get their name out there. After listening to the samples of the songs on the record company’s website, if the listener enjoyed the music they would, hopefully, buy the artist’s album. I believe that this is a very successful way for listeners to get a taste of these artists’ music and for them to hopefully buy their albums in the future.

Six Degrees allows listeners to sample the music of emerging artists

So even though famous artists make listeners pay for their music, that is only because they already have a loyal and very large fan base that is willing to pay to have their music. However, for a new artist in the music scene who does not have the fan base nor fame, the artist should be more concerned about spreading their name and making a reputation for themselves before they can begin to charge people for their music.