People Use Mp 3's example essay topic

It is possible to get any song a person could ever need absolutely free. There are no catches, nor hidden charges, just free music. All a person has to do is have a computer and a connection to the Internet so he / she can download Mp 3 files. Mp 3 is a compression technique that can get a regular song down to one tenth its size (Quittener 1), making them easy to send and receive over the Internet. This free music may sound like a good idea, but many people are losing money over them. The record labels fell that they are losing millions in record sales, while others think that the record labels are benefiting from them because of the free publicity.

Many people sample the music online, and if they like it then they buy the compact disc. While this sounds attractive, a person needs to beware; downloading copyrighted material is illegal. In some cases the use of Mp 3's have a negative effect, however, Mp 3's can be positively used for marketing and publicity. What is an Mp 3, and who uses them Mp 3 stands for MPEG-1 Layer 3 and is a compression technique that can get a sound file to less than one tenth its original size without losing any of its initial quality (Greenfeld 2).

Aspiring musicians can us Mp 3's to post their songs on the Internet in order to get publicity and to avoid having to use record labels. People can also can transfer CDs to their computer using Mp 3's (O Malley 1). From there he can mix the songs and with a CD re writeable drive, make their own CDs (O Malley 2). Music fans can go online and find Mp 3's of their favorite bands demos, remixes, unreleased tracks, and even interviews. All this is good, but last year people started posting copyrighted songs on the Internet (Croal and Murr 63). Now anyone can find Mp 3's of their favorite bands copyrighted songs on the Internet.

Because of this 75 percent of all college students are music pirates (Greenfeld 1), and three million people have downloaded Mp 3 players (Quittner 1). Mp 3's is no the second most searched for word on the Internet, only second to sex. This has posed numerous problems for therecording industry. While Mp 3's sound like a great idea to the consumer, the record industry is hurting badly. The Internet has made music so vulnerable, that if it were to go unchecked... the pirate market would supplement the real market, (qty. Quittner 2).

The Record Industry of America Association general counsel Cary Sherman has it exactly right. The $12 billion dollar music industry is losing millions over Mp 3's. The problem is that they are so easy to use that even someone who got on the Internet for the first time could find the song he was looking for in under fifteen minutes. Fortunately the technology is good but not great; it still takes at least fifteen minutes to download a song (Quittener 2). At this point, there is not any type of enforcement being used to stop Mp 3's, nor is there any type of encrypt ment put on CDs to stop Mp 3 usage. So people can get the songs they love for free, how can there be any good in this Mp 3's might make the record labels lose money, but it has many positive aspects for therecording artists.

First off, if used correctly Mp 3's can be a great way to give bands publicity. Swirl 360 released parts of their songs online before they were released on CDs in order to get people to buy their CD (Quittener 2). Plus, the music industry has always benefited from giving away free music, the radio is the obvious example. If the recording industry decides to market Mp 3's online, it will be easy seeing that young people are already used to getting music online (Greenfeld 1). Many people fell that this will help musicians not have to use record labels, but venture out on their own...

[Mp 3s] it represents not the pirating of music, but the democratization of it, (Greenfeld 4). A pioneer in this democratization of music is Michael Robertson, the owner of Mp 3. Inthe beginning, Michael Robertson and a friend were trying to start a search engine business when they found out about this new Mp 3 technology. They knew that there would be a big future int his business, so they decided to buy a web-site name. They found the owner of the name Mp 3. com and bought it from him for $1000. On the first day of operation 10,000 people visited the site.

Just four hours after its opening, they had an advertiser call and want to put an advertisement on their site. Weeks later a venture-capital firm named Sequoia Capital became partners with Robertson for $10 million. Now more than 100 artists a day fill out an online form and upload their music onto Robertson site (Greenfeld 1-2). With the use of Mp 3. com it is now easier for artists to avoid having to use a record label to get publicity, they can now get straight to their fans through the Internet. Unlike the Mp 3's posted on Mp 3. com some Mp 3's are illegal. People have recently been trying extra hard to get pirated software and music off of the Internet.

An anti-piracy bill was passed which stated that a person who infringes on the law can receive fines up to $250,000 and five years in jail. The law states it will punish, anyone who willfully infringes copyrights worth at least $1000 within a six-month period, with stiffer penalties if the total jumps to $2,500, (McCullagh 1). Bill Gates traveled to Washington DC to state his support for this bill. Others think this bill will be rushed through congress without careful examination, therefore, not given the upmost thought and care. Record Industry of America Association (RIAA) has sent letters to university administrators informing them of this bill. Because of this three students have been expelled for having Mp 3 sites and many others suspended (McCullagh 2).

The RIAA has also unsuccessfully sued Diamond Multimedia for making a discman type product that holds an hour of Mp 3's (Quittner 1). Now that Mp 3's have spread like a virus across the Internet; what can record labels do to help stop the demise of their business The Madison Project, a collaboration between IBM and major record labels, is trying to find a vaccine for the Mp 3 viruses. They have made and tested a method for a legal and easy way to transfer music files online. Other people have decided to not kill the viruses, but let it help them (Greenfeld 3). Many websites are selling Mp 3's for 99 cents aMp 3 (Croal and Murr 63). People are paying that price because the websites have almost all ofthe Mp 3's, practically ending the ten to fifteen minute search the songs they are looking for.

In reality, once a person sorts out all of the hype form the truth, he gets a problem that will come and then leave. People have stated that the Internet will bring the end of everything from newspapers to mail; both are still up and running. First, not many people use Mp 3's. Out ofthe fifty-seven people surveyed only twenty actually knew what they were. Out of the twenty who knew what an Mp 3 was, only nine use them.

Most of those nine had less than twenty Mp 3's (Survey). There is some truth though, the record industry is losing money. But when I think about it the record industry has done nothing but practically steal from its artists. I have two words for the record industry, instant karma.

I like how Chuck D of Public Enemy put it, [Mp 3s] make artists harder to pimp, (Greenfeld 4). As for the artists I feel that they are not losing much, but actually might be gaining from Mp 3's. Bands make most of their money from fans coming to see their tours. They get the fans by advertisement, such as Mp 3's.

Also only five of the fifty-seven people surveyed said that they use Mp 3's as a substitute for CDs (Survey). I feel that Mp 3's are only giving music a new look. The old dress of the 80's and 90's is about to be changed by the threads of the millennium. Croal, N Gai and Andrew Murr. Rockin the Boat.

Newsweek. 22 March 1999, 63-64 Greenfeld, Karl. You ve Got Music! TIME.

22 February 1999: 4 pages. online. Internet. 21 March 1999. Mccullagh, Declan.

Penance for Pirates. TIME. 17 December 1997: 3 pages. online. Internet.

21 March 1998. O Mally, Chris. A New Spin. TIME. 27 July 1998: 4 pages. online. Internet.

23 March 1999. Quittner, Joshua. Free Music Online. TIME. 21 September 1998: 2 pages. online. Internet.

21 March 1998. Survey. Lee High School Students. 8 April 1998. Outline Thesis Statement: In some cases the use of Mp 3's have a negative effect, however, Mp 3's can be positively used for marketing and publicity. I. Debate A. Explanation B. Positive 1. Free 2.

Easy to use C. Negative 1. Money 2. Legality II. Use A. Who 1.

Musicians 2. CD makers 3. Fans B. Statistics 1. Students 2.

Players. Negative A. Money B. Easy C. Regulations IV. Positive A. Publicity B. Free Music C. Sell D. Democratization V. Mp 3. com A. Beginning B. Success 1. First Day 2. Partner C. Us eVI. Laws A. Bill B. Fines 1.

Support 2. Disapprove C. Enforcement VII. Solution A. Madison Project B. Selling V. Position A. Hype B. Survey 1. Knew 2. Used 3.

Number C. Industry D. Positive E. Future.