I love getting my favourite music in a music store. Absolutely. For me it's almost a "ritual" to go to my favourite music store and to buy my CDs.
I don't want to change my habites. A CD is, in my opinion, like a book and I need to have it in a material way.
(((Oh! my God!!!! in my bedroom there are a lot of CDs!... where can I put them? . For my CDs and my books there will be always a place ))).
And then it is rigth to pay for this wonderful and difficult art. We need it. A world without music is a world more sad. I'm sure.
Thank you so much for your incomparable music, Loreena!
Mary

For me it is natural to pay for the work someone offers regardless of the area in which the work is done. The technical development now offers the possibility to get musical products "for nothing". That cannot be the right way, because there is no respect for the work of the artist, there is no balance between "give and take"! It's an expression of an egoic materialistic orientation - how can I get more and give less! See the topical "financial crises" which I think is a spiritual crises.

To look at other cultures can be inspiring: People in India who are not interested in ordinary life but devote themselves to spiritual search are supported from the society. For everone it is a great honour to take care of the "holy men". What about a little of this respect for the artists in the western world?

I agree with you, Udo, that the music industry first of all is interested to make money regardless of the creative intentions of the artists. A friend of mine, a composer of wonderful songs, entered into a contract of a great label hoping to publish his songs. He had to forget his songs, instead he had to follow the guideline of "his" managers, what in their eyes would be successful in the music market.
After two years my friend was depressed and sick and had to break off his musical carreer for a while. Fortunately he later joined a wellknown band, where he could live his musical creativity.

Thank you very much Loreena for following your way and inspiring us by your authenticity.

Although it wouldn't hurt to get music for free, I understand that this is impossible, as the artists/bands actually try to live of it.

I personally prefer to buy music at music stores. There is no fun in digital music, and I am very sad to see that some of my favorite artits are going digital.

Long time I haven't posted, but I'm glad this thread is still alive and kicking.

I'll be back to discuss how 'online music' has taken a dramatic shift. Mp3 downloads have become more expensive, etc., but the musician is bound to a contractual quota which hasn't changed. Those putting the music though, have.

So yes, the musician's music needs to be respected.


Happy New Year,
Shan xxx

I have never purchased music online. I really like buying a CD and seeing the entire art of the creation. As for free music, I think that notion is an insult to the artists who create it. I would never download or accept free music because I know in my heart how much the artist has worked and lived and sacrificed to give to the anonymous listener such a precious gift.

quote:

Originally posted by Loreena:
SHIFTING MUSIC INDUSTRY PRESENTS NEW CHALLENGES

[On a final note, I’d be interested to learn about your thoughts on the current state of the music industry. Do you think music should be free? Do you prefer to get your music online or from a music store?
LM

Music should not and cannot be for free. The artists that give us their music are truly gifted and are very lucky to be able to do what they do but I guess they still get hungry and thirsty sometimes, don't they? I mean I became a police officer because I wanted to help people but still like to get (and have to!) get paid for it.

I buy my music both at stores and online.

I personally hate the music industry the way it was, is and always will be. The industry has nothing to do with the artists and their musicians and their needs or opinions. The bosses of the record labels, the promoters, the investors, distibutors etc. are the people who will make or break a musician. They dictate their artists and tell them what is good for them and their audiences. How lame is that? Not only lame - it is outright disgusting.

I am proud of artists who have not let their backbone be removed. Artists who have stayed true to themselves and decided to take the only right way there is to take - their OWN way. Nobody said life would be easy, right?

Listening to the music of true artists satisfies me in more than one way or another.

Thank You Loreena for staying true to yourself and to your fans.

Udo

quote:

Originally posted by Loreena:
(bla bla bla)

I apologize for the length of this post.

Loreena

Please, don't apologize. I understand perfectly: of course you are busy making lots of good music for us to enjoy, and make up for the time you don't spend on this MB by making big posts when you do get a chance to do so.

am I correct? (so much for "I understand perfectly"! )

BIG HUG from Jesse

PS PLEASE come to Australia soon!

Dear Loreena

I believe that, in a capitalist society in which we live as we are all entitled to charge for our work(we are all entitled to collect money for our work),logically musicians / artists as well.
When everything is free (music, but also medical care, electricity, water, bread ....) that humanity will have taken a big step.

The online music is the future, but today is more incomplete / defective (for quality and limitations of the format). I think we need to improve the overall quality. In this way I think music fans will respond even better.

(Thanks )

Should music be free? In a word, no. The artists work too hard to not be financially rewarded for the popularity their music can bring. I have no problem paying reasonable rates for music.

Do I prefer to buy online or at a store? Well, for most artists, I prefer to buy online MP3's. However, there are certain artists that I buy the real thing, Loreena being one of them. I enjoy the artwork of the inserts and like having a hard copy. I, however, do prefer to buy online and have it shipped.

Thank you for taking the timet o listen to your community Loreena!

a) Do you think music should be free?
In my view the music are free now. Everybody can access using internet to all kind of music ilegal and free. Is a fact. This situation have 2 different consequences: First the music can be hearing by people that in other way never listen it. And this is a free publicity. By other hand the people can decide not to pay for music and that is a big lost of money.

What makes the people buy nowadays a disc knowing that they can download it illegally?
I believe that it is the important question....

Many people, your unconditional fans, always are going to buy your CD but there is an important group of population who will download your music of Internet and there is a fine line that separates the fact of be able to buy the CD or of not. I believe that there are ways to cross the line.
A good question would be .... you... that normally you pirate music... what does convince you to buying the original CD and what not?
b) Do you prefer to get your music online or from a music store? Music store but i am old!!! probably new generations prefers other ways.
Usually I download music to know the album but in the time to buy it.... Music Store

Cintia.

Dear Loreena,
I feel so glad and grateful to read your post here, I didn't think you would visit the board yourself since you should be really busy with your work.

I'd like to share my thoughts with you about your questions.

1, If music should be free: if everything were free, then I guess we'd be living in heaven. When a mother brings her son his meal, when a wife makes her husband a shirt, they won't cost a penny, because they are families. If we share the world as a family, then everything is free and we get heaven. But since we are here now, if music is free, how should the musicians make their living? So, I guess music will never be free, and we should pay our beloved musicians as to show our gratefulness for the beautiful music.
2, I really don't like digital downloads. When I listen to your music, I'd like to hold the booklet and read every word on it. I think the words and the music are both important. Those digital downloads make me feel "empty"(don't know how to describe my feeling since I'm not an English speaker, hope you could understand me ).

Best regards to you and all the people here. I'm really looking forward to your new recording this winter, Loreena.
Cocoa

quote:

Originally posted by Gina:
Dear Loreena,

On June 27ht, the US Houe of Representives passed legislation permitting record companies to recieve payment from radio stations that play their artists in order to recapture some of the loss due to the internet.

From what has been discussed is the record companies will receive payment from the radio or the businesses that advertise on the stations, then to retrieve their losses the price of the products being advertised will go up and once again it will be at the consumers expense.

I just wonder if this is going to help or if it will just add to the mountain of problems that already exists? Are record companies greedy or are they loosing huge amounts of money? Have you noticed that you are losing money from free downloads off the 'net?

Peace, beauty, and health be with you,
Gina

Gina -

These are very good questions. It seems to be a vicious circle of sorts. Sometimes, what appears to be 'greed', is actually a necessity to 'balance the leger'. The record companies need to at least come at par. As well, it all depends on which record company.

It would help to know which ones are striving the hardest to retrieve monies.

I do know where 'royalties' are concerned, the radio stations had to send in a log of the artist's music played. This was many moons ago. Perhaps, the stations slacked throughout time?

I would venture to say if the record companies are going to 'up' their prices for consumers, then the artists signed on must be worthy enough for consumers to want to invest in their music without their being disgruntled. The record companies would probably go through a 'triage process' for 'quality artists'. Sad to say, but the remaining aspiring artists would have to resort to the internet.

A very interesting 'classification system' of musicians is unfolding/emerging. With a lot of competition.

Kind regards,
Shan-Lyn

Dear Loreena,

On June 27ht, the US Houe of Representives passed legislation permitting record companies to recieve payment from radio stations that play their artists in order to recapture some of the loss due to the internet.

From what has been discussed is the record companies will receive payment from the radio or the businesses that advertise on the stations, then to retrieve their losses the price of the products being advertised will go up and once again it will be at the consumers expense.

I just wonder if this is going to help or if it will just add to the mountain of problems that already exists? Are record companies greedy or are they loosing huge amounts of money? Have you noticed that you are losing money from free downloads off the 'net?

Peace, beauty, and health be with you,
Gina

Dear Loreena,
This response is a long time coming to you, but I wanted to express my opinion on the question you raised regarding paying for music. I’m at my job, waiting for the computer to spit out the information I need. I’m also listening to your CD “The Book of Secrets”. I purchased the CD from your website.
My job, although it pays me well and the benefits are wonderful, is boring and repetitive. Having music to listen to while here helps to make the days go by faster and less painfully.
My work provides a valuable function for my supervisors. I expect to be paid for my efforts. If I go to a doctor, and he/she uses their knowledge to heal me, they expect to be paid. If I hire a painter, a plumber, a landscaper, they expect to be paid in return for their providing me with their skills and talents.
Your music and the musical talents of other artists I appreciate and admire add to my life and make it more enjoyable. Just as I wouldn’t steal from a shop, I would not steal from you, by not paying you for your “product”, your music.
Further more, if artists are not paid, then they can’t make a living from the “work” they do and will be forced to stop creating. If you were not able to support yourself from your music, how would you meet your everyday expenses?
I have purchased your DVD from Alahambra and I am looking forward to watching it. I wish you many more creative, fruitful years.

Ian...
Would you be the same Ian Blackaby who is Caroline's manager?
//Dennis//

quote:

Originally posted by IBlackaby:
Re: PRS etc - Just thought I would pop by to say that although the rules (and systems) are often different from country to country, a fairly representative example is the PRS in the UK who demand that concert venues pay them 3% of the ticket receipts (after deducting sales tax). The venue (or promoter) is obliged to submit a form with the payment that indicates what repertoire has been played by the artists at each concert. That money (less a PRS commission) goes to those songwriters via the collection society's quarterly distributions and via the repsective publishers. It does not go to the performers. IIRC the minimum fee is £30 per event.

Hope that helps, IB