One of the most popular sites for illegal downloading, The Pirate Bay, has been blocked in the UK following a massive national crackdown on illegal downloading and file sharing websites. The Pirate Bay is the second victim following the recent destruction of the highly convenient file-sharing site Megaupload.
For many cash strapped people this only spells bad news as they have to start paying out to enjoy everyday things like film and music again.
But is it really all that expensive? Emma Roberts takes a quick look at the different options available to the regular person who doesn’t have enough disposable income to buy every new release.
Downloading isn’t the only way to get music
The first, and possibly most obvious, option is Spotify. The Swedish application lets registered users listen to unlimited music for free as long as they don’t mind having an advert every few songs. There is an option to upgrade the Spotify account, paying £4.99 monthly to get rid of the adverts. This isn’t a massive fee if music is listened to a lot, but the music is never owned no matter how much is paid, the money is simply paying to get rid of the adverts.
If owning music is important to the user, the basic Spotify account can still be of use. The app can be used to give albums a first listen, hearing whether it’s worth investing hard earned money on. If the answer is yes, then the music can be bought in the physical or digital format of choice from a desire retailer.
Finding that CD or Vinyl for the right price can be difficult too. Second hand shops, charity shops, jumble sales and particularly Ebay or Amazon can be great for an older record but it’s always a good idea to check the condition of the disc before buying, cheap doesn’t always mean value.
For a new release it’s always nice to support the local independent record store, but sometimes the prices can be too high so it’s always worth looking out for a sale or a deal in a bigger store. Looking in the right places it’s possible to find new music for a small price. The online music store, 7digital, often offers new releases at around £5 for a period of time and Amazon will sometimes add promotional discounts to popular records.
If owning music is not so important, but the adverts and costs of Spotify are just a little too much, there are yet still more options available. Newspaper and music sites will often temporarily stream an album before release on their site. A good way to keep an eye on what goes up on their websites is to follow them on Twitter.
There is also a Russian website called melodishop.com that fits neatly into a legal loophole in the country, letting the site sell album downloads for ridiculously cheap prices. Thanks to the loophole, the site is perfectly legal and for around 50p an album, users can download to their heart’s content. The artists don’t get a penny from the site, but then they don’t from second hand record sales either.
If the artist getting money is a worry then it’s probably best to just save up, budget and buy everything new from a reputable seller.
Emma Roberts 