Exciter?

[Hawk]

Yes but keep in mind that we're from an "old generation" here, even for the young people like me, if you see what I mean.
Because as Hawk just said, usually younger generations don't care about supporting artists nowadays, thinking that music is free for all. They don't realize that producing music has a cost.

By the way, the biggest melodic Metal label in France has just closed down and others will probably follow soon... ok the drop of sales wasn't the only reason, still it was part of this failure.

The whole d/l thing can help artists but only if people are willing to support them later on. What we do here, fortunately.

I also think that the time is nearing fast for artists to realize that they must break away from the old ways and start supporting themselves by selling their songs through their website.

As more and more small record companies will disappear it will be the challenge for bands to see this not as a negative but as a opportunity to break away and claim independence !

This will take a whole new approach from the bands but those who are not willing to adapt will suffer!

It might be the undergrounds band who will lead the way here. Instead of re-signing with labels that fucked them over time and time again [Nevermore], they must have the courage to go their own way and do it themselves!!

 

[Fangface]

Well, it depends what you call "selling their songs through their website".
I would never buy sound files.

It's ok to buy albums right from the artist though, I do it quite often with some small bands. But when your band grows, at one point it will become harder and harder to manage all the logistic problems...

 

[JonnyD]

Hahahaha DownLoading and file swaping is not all that different than Copying and trading Cds, and Cassettes and what not hahahaha thats how I have heard ALOT of the bands I now love ... Oh well Anyway Speaking of Copied Cds I got a copy of the New Exciter Disc from a Buddy Sounds good so far they sound like Iron Maiden if Maiden was A thrash metal band hehehe which is cool! I have to dig into it more and see how it settles

 

[sixxswine]

Hahahaha DownLoading and file swaping is not all that different than Copying and trading Cds, and Cassettes and what not hahahaha thats how

You know, I never thought about it that way. You've got a point there!!!!!!
That's how I got "hooked" or turned on to certain bands, it was all second hand... I think, that if you dig a band, the least you could do is score the legit copy. I think for the most part, a lot of us do. Some faster than others, being that this economic time is kinda rough, there's probably a lot more trading than buying. That's just a sign of the current time....

 

[JonnyD]

You know, I never thought about it that way. You've got a point there!!!!!!
That's how I got "hooked" or turned on to certain bands, it was all second hand... I think, that if you dig a band, the least you could do is score the legit copy. I think for the most part, a lot of us do. Some faster than others, being that this economic time is kinda rough, there's probably a lot more trading than buying. That's just a sign of the current time....

When I like A band I really do try and get some original stuff! Cause well the original beats the hell out of a Burned copy But it is nice to be able to sample an album before getting it ...................... this is what makes Lars sucha Hypocrite Back in the late '70s early '80s He was involved in the Tape Trading Scene ..... Trading Tapes and Trading Files no difference

 

[Wyvern]

Some bands promote gladly their product to their website, and I'm not talking samples but whole songs or like Acid Rain the whole album! Century Media always have complete songs from their rooster so get people into the band and the album.

I agree that trading and sharing kill the artist, but also the big greedy labels (and this is moe into pop than metal) charge so much for the records (when so little go to the artist) for their pockets, than the new generation rebel by playing the iPOD game uke:

For me the MP3 is just a way to decide if I'm going or not for the product. After I heard the MP3 from "Dance Of Death" (Iron Maiden) I decided not to buy the album, on the other hand after I heard the MP3 from "New Testament" (Exciter) the album is sitting gladly in my collection. I'm a collector, I'm a metalhead, I'm proud of owning the CDs and have them in a proper piece of furniture (made under specifications by a carpenter ).

As much as I loved vinyl (and I have mine properly stored too), I like CDs for their versatility, but also because I have the product of the artist in my hands, I can read the lyrics, look the pics, examine the cover, etc.

What I have with MP3s and a CD-R or an iPOD?

 

[sixxswine]

Lars sucha Hypocrite Back in the late '70s early '80s He was involved in the Tape Trading Scene ..... Trading Tapes and Trading Files no difference

I'm guilty of that too. I used to trade tapes back in the day. Thinking back now, that was complete trash we were trading. Fucking Cassettes?! They might as well have been 8-tracks!!!!!! I'm looking into a DVD-R stand alone recorder, so now, like those cassettes I can begin to toss out those damn VHS!!!!!!

 

[Runehammer]

Good points and congratulations to the ones that said downloading hasn't impacted Cd sales very much. Over here in the UK, sales of Cd albums have increased every year since 80' summat*. Sales of Cd singles on the other hand have dropped through the floor.

*This is inclusive to 2003!

The whole deal about illegal downloading is all about the folks that cherry pick singles from pop artists in the main. That and the old huge names like Beatles, Stones etc. As far as the Metal scene goes, aprt from the "poor young student" type perhaps - NO Metalhead worth the name will download albums with no intention of purchasing the "real thing" when the opportunity arises. That's my 2p anyway.

 

[sixxswine]

Good points and congratulations to the ones that said downloading hasn't impacted Cd sales very much. Over here in the UK, sales of Cd albums have increased every year since 80' summat*. Sales of Cd singles on the other hand have dropped through the floor.

Cd singles are quite the rip off. Considering they "bone" you for $7.00-$8.00 for one of those things & the actual disc reatils for like $15.99?! That's insane!!!
and what kind of a metal band issues singles anyway?!

 

[SickBoy]

and what kind of a metal band issues singles anyway?!

The singles actually became EP's in the CD era.
Concerning the mp3 subject, I have a lot of them and I plan to buy many of those albums on CDs when I have the money. But if it wasn't for p2p programs, I'd never hear ADX, Heavy Load or whatever obscure band of the 80s. And they allow me to have the album in general...
I saw Heavy Load LP on eBay once and the guy demanded 100$ for it.
If weren't for some good soul to take time to digitalize his/her LP and encode the mp3...

Like Wyvern, Dance Of Death mp3 also made me decide not to buy the CD.