Being heavily into music, I am very supportive of artists, and I can honestly say that I've never pirated any music at all. Sadly, with P2P torrenting networks, grabbing whole albums and compilations are just one click away, and IMO, doing this can hurt record sales immensely.

So what do you guys think? Is music piracy hurting the music industry as a whole?

I guess yes and no. Artists make most of their money from their venues, tours, merchandise, etc. But I do think people should pay for a cd.

yeah it is hurting the industry they spend time on their work and people can get it for free. I also buy cds i usually download stuff i cant buy from usa.

I'm not gunna lie, I've used file sharing programs and used online communities to get songs or albums, or frankly just hear music of an artist I wouldn't have heard otherwise. Which I think it pirating 's best quality, putting peoples music out there and making it more available to everyone, getting more known.
But if I like an artist or album enough(Like Utada for example) I'll buy their CDs. While this isn't true for everyone who downloads illegally, it is true for some.
But I've found I usually an more likely to download if its an album I can't get here(Like Rurutia for example.) I can't even find her CD's in the Japanese store in the city, otherwise I probably would buy them...

Quite simply, I never would have gained the experience of a wide variety of music if it weren't for downloading music. Music samples are usually 30-seconds and tell you nothing, and radio only plays the same 10 songs. I also bought a lot of music thanks to downloads. It's helped me avoid a lot of bad purchases.

I still download regularly, but not as much as I used to. It's in part because now I know what I like. But it's also in part because about half of my music collection come from independent artists and is purchased from CD Baby, where music samples are generous (often 2 minutes of each track; Ani DiFranco lets you stream entire songs, and the entirety of her latest album). A lot of indies put up some mp3s for free (a song or two on my iPod is the best reminder that I want to get a CD in a few months). Oh, and Pandora is awesome for finding new stuff. Plus iTunes putting some J-pop in the U.S. store.

The music industry was just stubborn about entering the new age, and now that they're starting to meet me halfway, I'm willing to as well. But, honestly, big labels exaggerate how much music downloads hurt sales. I only wish that it would bankrupt them, or at least encourage them to stop shoveling crap at the public. Honestly, the music industry's afraid because there's now other venues for us to find music and *gasp* think for ourselves!

...yeah, that was an essay.

My opinion isn't really based in any logical fact, but I believe that music is about creating art, not making money. I feel that the record companies blow the "pirating" issue way out of proportion to scare people into buying music when that really shouldn't be the focus. I feel this way about all of society, honestly, but I think priorities need to be realigned in the music industry, because it's almost become a science. But music is something soulful and, in my opinion, somewhat spiritual. It's something that all humans are connected by, and all humans have a right to it. There has never (to my knowledge) been a society on the face of the earth that has not experimented with some form of music or another. It's one of our few linking qualities. So, for me, music has never been about making it big, getting a lot of fans, or making a whole bunch of money. The artists I respect the most are the starving artists: people like Amanda Palmer who go out there, tour their butts off, go home and realize they're still broke, then blog about how happy they are despite not having any money. I feel that Utada, despite being successful on a whole different level from Amanda Palmer, is the same way. I don't think her goal is money or making it big. As she stated in an interview, she's just making music, and if people want to listen to it, it's not like she would forbid them from pirating her stuff.
So, basically, yes, I do think pirating hurts the music industry as it is right now (at least, it hurts the record labels). But do I think it matters? No, not really. I say, if you truly want to support your favorite artists, ATTEND THEIR TOURS. Nothing is more rewarding to a musician than to see the faces of the people that love their stuff crowding together just to hear them play.
By the way, just for the record, I do almost always buy my music to financially support the artists I love. So this isn't coming from someone who illegally downloads globs of music. I just know that I'm privileged to be capable of buying the music: some people honestly can't. And, again, artists have, historically, never made a great deal of money- I don't see why that should suddenly become the priority now. I think that's why a lot of mainstream music in this day and age has lots its authenticity. Money and fans do not make good music- soul and passion do.

Love & Life,
Shuri/Eli

As a big music fan I think piracy is a necessary evil in todays music world. It allows people to get exposed to more music, and if you really dig something you usually go out and buy it. At least I do. Karen Mok (Mo wen-wei) a Cantopop artist and actress once said that she see's doesn't mind piracy so much as she finds it a good indicator on weather or not people like her music. She said if she walks down a street in Hong Kong famous for selling pirated CD's and doesn't see hers she knows she needs to get back to work and make something people want.

Another thing to think about. Do any of you buy USED CD's? Isn't that just as bad if not worse than piracy? The original artist doesn't get anything from these sales. It's all for profit by the stores selling them.

I approve of it.

If there's any musician that make music for the money, he/she does not deserve to get my money.
OF COURSE, if there's a new band who need money in order to be able to play small gigs etc, they'll just have to use the internet in order to get fans. Like Myspace, youtube etc. And go that way around. Because if I see a band name on a random poster in the city it's not like I go and buy an album/demo from them just to hear what kind of music it is. The risk that it might just be another crappy band is too big.

And as Utada said in an interview... If you buy a CD that means that you support that kind of music, which makes the artist more willing to keep it up on that track. But what if you buy a CD and it totally sucks? Then you've officially told the musician that you want to hear more of that,even though you really don't want to.

it depends as for me..... if i can afford original stuffs then go.. but if not.. piracy is the best option.

Well I believe that its up the the artist. But with out us (the fans) artists would never make it. So they need us. I agree that greedy musicians don't deserve it. However, I think if the artist doesn't care then you shouldn't either..but if your a metallica fan or a led zepplin fan...i suggest you think again if you don't to get sued or hurt their feelings and possibly drop them about a good $10.00.

My opinion of course.