I can say for years that I too detested iTunes for the DRM. But after a while, and given my patience with computing (which led me down the path of working in IT) I kinda gave in, bought a second hand iPod Nano, and have been happy since.

But to answering your questions:

1. I consider the old experiment of putting a frog in boiling water vs cold then slowing boiling them to death. The idea is the frog gets use to latter and won't jump out even when it's near death.

The RIAA, on the other hand, reacted like the former when presented with Napster. It existed, almost literally, under their noses. They had no "warming up" period to the idea of digitally available music. Because of the initial knee-jerk reaction they whole of the association is still reeling from the notion that anyone could rip them off in a few clicks. The slowness is due to the hard coding of the idea, in executive heads, that the control of the physical media the music is listened to on is paramount. Given that you can rip tracks from a CD or convert files from one format to another and from one device to another, this isn't possible. Draconian is my usual word for mentality because of this. They missed the boat for the digital age and are slowly dying at an industry because of it. A very slow death, but a death nonetheless.

2. All that above being said, your options right now are limited.

• Buy CDs, use software to legally rip them into mp3 or wav (windows media player can even do the former if you'd like automatically). Then store the CDs away for safe keeping. I've been doing this off and on for years myself and have quite a collection of MP3 files to show for it.
  
• Find the limited websites out there that sell DRM free music. I won't list any personally because I find their selection not worth buying from.
  
• Become a digital miscreant and convert files out of their DRM state. Out here in the states that violates the DMCA (Section 1201 if you are wondering. It signing into law is the only action I have yet to forgiven Bill Clinton for, and I even forgive him for the whole lying under oath about blowjobs). I cannot really get you in the right direction on this other than to tell you to google for something... gah, I can't remember... the HYMM of our fathers PROJECT makes for an interesting REQUIEM.

the industry is run by incompetent bastards. there's your answer.

spend a bit of time and you can find great stuff on mp3 or even free from the artist via myspace. just talk to people. it's almost like hunting for vinyl.

the key is to stop falling for bullshit bands on bullshit labels.

personally, i buy stuff from digital-tunes.net mostly.

I buy music in every format available, but rarely through iTunes.

iTunes is too pricey for me, plus the nightmare that is DRM makes me go elsewhere, such as Amazon, Beatport, eMusic, Addictech, Juno, Warpmart etc.

But I also still go the ye olde brick-and-morter route and visit my last remaining local record shops quite frequently, where I buy new vinyl&cd's, as well as used. I also buy CD's or downloads directly from artists and labels. (Robert Rich was my most recent purchase directly from the artist.)

But my absolute favorite still is the American pasttime of garage sales! I buy a healthy amount of vinyl every month, and garage sales/yard sales cannot be beat.

^garage sales are the ultimate way to screw the industry (and new artists).

You wanna support the artist? See 'em live. They don't tour anymore? Fuck'em they're in retirement...let them live off of social security like everybody else that's squandered their savings on cocaine.

A smart band will give their music out for free or for a very low cost. That's their business card...their marketing. In order to make it big, you gotta tour and get your name out there. I guess what I'm saying is, if you want the music, pirate or download legitimately. Donate when you can. Go to the shows when you can.

CDs.

Download the CD and snail-mail the artist(s) a $10 bill.

I run a small record label (not my fulltime job) and everything you've said here is the exact opposite of what my business model is, and runs counter to the real life experience I've had, and the artists on my roster have.

While we only press between 500-1,000 copies of vinyl per release, we manage to sell out every time, without ANY free copies sent to anyone. Hardly any of my artists play live, even if they did, the money they would make from small venues would pay for dinner before the show and maybe a few drinks after.

None of my artists are intent on "making it big", and actually a lot of people that I know in bands don't care either. Most people I encounter just want their music to see the light of day, make some sales, perhaps get more exposure to get a bigger label deal, maybe some mention in print. But noone operates under the false assumption of "making it big".


>> ^rottenseed:
You wanna support the artist? See 'em live. They don't tour anymore? Fuck'em they're in retirement...let them live off of social security like everybody else that's squandered their savings on cocaine.
A smart band will give their music out for free or for a very low cost. That's their business card...their marketing. In order to make it big, you gotta tour and get your name out there. I guess what I'm saying is, if you want the music, pirate or download legitimately. Donate when you can. Go to the shows when you can.

What is this "buy" thing you speak of?

For your situation, I'm sort of with direpickle and sort of with nibiyabi. I say just download the album you want, but also purchase the CD.

For my own music, I'm completely with MarineGunrock, although I do do as I described above and purchase a CD (even if I never use it) if I download something I really love.

And instead of going to actual concerts I find torrents for memories of other people who have attended them and upload them into the virtual reality chip implanted in my brain.

>> ^lucky760:
For my own music, I'm completely with MarineGunrock, although I do do as I described above and purchase a CD (even if I never use it) if I download something I really love.

Haha. You said doo doo.

This thing about bands having to perform live to make money while everyone downloads the music for free...
I just don't see it as being sustainable and clearly pre-recorded music sales aren't chump change. Clearly some of the bigger bands are and will continue to be big draws but that doesn't mean everyone can supplement their CD sales in the same way.

The impact of music videogames on sales of recorded music is very interesting. Kotaku cites a Gamasutra report in which it's stated that Aerosmith have earned more from their Guitar Hero spin-off Guitar Hero:Aerosmith than from any single one of the fourteen albums they have released to date.

Interesting article;
http://kotaku.com/5098945/you-cant-hum-a-video-game

It's funny that digital downloads onto consoles with heaps of DRM *is* acceptable by lots of gamers.

I just buy the CD (I listen to CD's pretty frequently anyhow) and then rip them to MP3 later.

it's true there are niches where vinyl still works, but it's dying a slow death i tell ya. people tell me proudly they sell "more than 1000 copies of vinyl" and it's like yeah, but what happened to 100,000?

>> ^MINK:
it's true there are niches where vinyl still works, but it's dying a slow death i tell ya. people tell me proudly they sell "more than 1000 copies of vinyl" and it's like yeah, but what happened to 100,000?


100,000 copies is/was/will always be a dream.

In fact, ask any distributor or pressing plant and they'll tell you the same thing; vinyl sales have gone way up in the last five years. Mostly due to the retro-interests of the indie rock and lo-fi scenes. USB turntables in every college kids flats nowadays.

Most shows I go to lately, they're selling 7"s and 12"s along with t-shirts.

dying people cough.

>> ^volumptuous:
I run a small record label (not my fulltime job) and everything you've said here is the exact opposite of what my business model is, and runs counter to the real life experience I've had, and the artists on my roster have.
While we only press between 500-1,000 copies of vinyl per release, we manage to sell out every time, without ANY free copies sent to anyone. Hardly any of my artists play live, even if they did, the money they would make from small venues would pay for dinner before the show and maybe a few drinks after.
None of my artists are intent on "making it big", and actually a lot of people that I know in bands don't care either. Most people I encounter just want their music to see the light of day, make some sales, perhaps get more exposure to get a bigger label deal, maybe some mention in print. But noone operates under the false assumption of "making it big".

>> ^rottenseed:
You wanna support the artist? See 'em live. They don't tour anymore? Fuck'em they're in retirement...let them live off of social security like everybody else that's squandered their savings on cocaine.
A smart band will give their music out for free or for a very low cost. That's their business card...their marketing. In order to make it big, you gotta tour and get your name out there. I guess what I'm saying is, if you want the music, pirate or download legitimately. Donate when you can. Go to the shows when you can.


...well don't quit your day job. Oh and any band that says they're not interested in "making it big" are just afraid they'll be part of the millions that do fail so they play it safe and bullshit that they "don't care".