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"Welcome to my world." Hank Barry, Napster CEO |
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What do the artists and managers say about Napster? |
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...If you can afford a computer, you can afford to pay $16 for my cd.
Eminem, Wall of Sound, May 17, 2000 |
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I think the fact that Napster is stealing recorded music is something we have to stop. It's taking money out of my kid's mouth. That's the way I look at it. It's wrong. It's inherently wrong. It's stealing.
Art Alexakis, Everclear |
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...Yeah, I feel like I'm being stolen from, and I'd like to knock that punk around that invented it, but it was bound to happen....I think Metallica's got the right idea sue 'em. It's your copyright, it is copyright infringement...
Johnny Rzeznik, Goo Goo Dolls, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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...As a musician, the Internet has made it possible for me to share my music with people that could have never been reached by conventional methods...Not to insult anyone's intelligence, but my music is like my home. Napster is sneaking in the back door and robbing me blind.
Scott Stapp, Creed |
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I am excited about the opportunities presented by the Internet because it allows artists to communicate directly with the fans. But the bottom line must always be respect and compensation for creative work. I am against Internet piracy and it is wrong for companies like Napster and others to promote stealing from artists online.
Elton John |
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It [ticks] me off and I resent it. I spent $15,000 on my Web site. I paid a publicist for a year and a half out of my own pocket. And now some kid's going to tell my my catalog should be free?...Those people have no idea how the music business works. Because unless your Alanis Morissette or Dave Matthews, you're not making money on the road. It's all I can do to break even on tour. And the only reason to tour is to promote the sale of my CD.
Jonatha Brook, Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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Napster presents huge problems for the artists. It raises the questions--which is positive--of where and how artists are compensated. But I don't agree with the model they've set up. The artists should be the person who's ultimately in a position to decided when, where, and how something should be shared with whomever they choose to share it with.
Alanis Morissette, Yahoo!Internet Life, August 2000 |
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I don't like to have a record out and have people hear...versions that we don't want them to hear. With the Internet, there is no more privacty and not even the chance to express yourself in front of audience in the intimacy of a concert that lets songs evolve. You can't do this because they immediately get circulated.
Neil Young, Yahoo!Entertainment News, January 21, 2001 |
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You know, my whole vibe on Napster is, I understand how it will help life for unsigned bands. It is definitely a window to showcase a lot of bands [that] probably wouldn't be getting to hear from a lot of these majors, but at the same time you all need to pay us now...I mean, straight up! This is some hard work. I mean, I was in the military for, like, four years, man, and I'm telling you, boy, the music business is some hard work...You need some sort of pension, you know?...And even the unsigned artists, at some point, they're going to want to get paid for their things also.
Shaggy, launch.com, February 2, 2001 |
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...More and more people are going to download music, and if it all stays free and there is no control over the payments, then it will be difficult for younger artists to make a livelihood...
Peter Gabriel, The Red Eye/Redherring.com, February 5, 2001 |
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Many artists have spent their lives honing their craft and now some anonymous person in a little dark room with a computer somewhere is able to collate that lifetime's work and pass it around for free. It's just not on. Stealing is stealing regardless of what name you choose to call it.
Matt Johnson, The The |
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...Then there's the absurd argument that, 'Well, rock stars are wealthy, and therefore, it's all right to steal from them.' But the majority of singers and songwriters and recording artists in this business are not wealthy. They're struggling from hand to mouth, day to day, and they need fair and just compensation for their work. I'm deeply concerned, as are all artists about these issues, particularly Napster.
Don Henley, Boston Globe, May 5, 2000 |
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...And I resent it when people imply that this is not a legitimate profession, that what I do for a living should be given away. Napster and MP3.com try to make people believe that they are some sort of Robin Hood organization, stealing from the record companies and giving music to the people. But they are stealing from the people who create that music.
Don Henley, Rolling Stone Magazine, June 22, 2000 |
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...Just because technology exists where you can duplicate something, that doesn't give you the right to do it. There's nothing wrong with giving some tracks away or bits of stuff that's fine. But it's not everybody's right. Once I record somthing, it's not public domain to give it away freely. So I stand behind Dr. Dre and Metallica and support them. And that's not trying to be the out dated musician who is trying to stop technology. I love technology. Technology is here to stay...
Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails, Boston Globe, May 5, 2000 |
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...[But] right now, if it's affecting anybody, it's affecting a band like us. Metallica sells millions of records, you know what I mean? They're not in the hot seat as much as we are....Our new record, it hasn't even come out yet, and I'm sure probably a quarter of our fan base have already heard it. We just have to hope these people still buy our record when it comes out, but it's kind of scary for us.
Chino Moreno, Deftones, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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It's not even just about money, the quality is lesser. That's not good. We work really hard to make the music sound good, so we want people to hear it the way it actually sounds. So I would give it thumbs down. [sonicnet.com: "MP3s are actually close to CD quality."] Oh, well, still thumbs down.
Arion Salazar, Third Eye Blind, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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It sounds kind of parochial to say this, but you have to play by the rules. There's rules that have been established over a long period of time. The rules aren't always the right rules, but you have to [follow them]....If [Public Enemy rapper and Napster supporter Chuck D] can figure out a way to get paid somehow with music getting downloaded without people have to pay for it, then good for him. That doesn't work for me, I've got three kids now.
Jimmy Jam, producer (Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige), Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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It totally pisses me off, because musicians get hardly any money from this at all. I could make more money washing dishes at the moment. It's unfair...
Peter Holmstrom, Dandy Warhols, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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It's beneficial and unfortunate at the same time. It's beneficial because people are getting into your music. It's unfortunate because it's harder to keep control of your music and your career.
P.Z., Ideal, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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The foundation of every industrial country is the preservation of property rights, and it boils down to that. So I'm not really sure why intellectual property would be an exception.
Tal Bachman, Sonicnet.com, June 7, 2000 |
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It's high-tech bootlegging, with artists definitely losing revenue. I apprecieate that people like my music enough to download it. But we need to join forces and fight this.
DJ Scratch, artist/producer, Billboard, April 15, 2000 |
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I suppose it should be a compliment that people dig your music so much that they're swapping it online. But thievery is thievery. If you dig an artist that much, then you should want to help keep that artist alive by purchasing the actual recording.
Anastacia, Billboard, April 15, 2000 |
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Stealing from an artist is not the best way to show your appreciation for their work.
Aimee Mann, Entertainment Weekly, March 31, 2000 |
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No matter what you do for a living you should get paid for your work, whether you're washing dishes or recording songs.
Bif Naked, Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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Nobody wants to look the artist in the eye and say, 'Giving your music away for free is going to make you lots of money'-not while keeping a straight face anyway.
Kristin Hersh, Throwing Muses, Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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Artists should be compensated for their work and protected against a technology that allows copyrighted music to be illegally downloaded. But Napster and technologies like it are just a part of the overall problem. Intellectual property in the Internet Age must be staunchly protected. Without meaningful safeguards, the livelihood of the creative community is at risk.
Mike Greene, President/CEO National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences |
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As a musician, the Internet has made it possible for me to share my music with people that could have never been reached by conventional methods...The broader question is intellectual property on the Internet. Intellectual property should be valued and protected or we'll go down. And not just music either. Why would anybody sit down and write a novel if it's going to be pirated for free the first day it's released. If nobody values intellectual property, then we'll all be in the insurance business.
Ron Stone, Gold Mt. Management (Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, etc.), Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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If the Internet thieves are not stopped or better regulated, it not only robs current artists but might have even more serious repercussions for the next batch artists.
Simon Renshaw, Senior Management (Dixie Chicks) |
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If Napster had our best interest in mind then they would ask our artists. Nobody at Napster has ever called to ask our permission. Artists say 'Ask me.' Explain what it is and ask if I want to participate. But Napster doesn't give them an opportunity. They're basically saying '**** the workers.' Let them work their a**es off and we'll give it away for nothing. The bigger the lie the more you get away with, I suppose. There's no question Napster's going to lose in court. The only question is how much money in damages they'll have to pay. I hope it's enormous because then the big money investors, which Napster needs, will walk away.
Cliff Burnstein, Q Prime Management (Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers),
Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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Investors are going to realize it's a theft business and ask, how does it make money? It doesn't. It's all very well to say music should be free, but the reality is if you don't pay the artists, the road crew, the musicians, the recording studio, if there's no money in music, there's not going to be much music left. How many people would be doctors if they had to work for free? What if we said, 'Hey, the airlines are ripping us off and we don't want to pay for tickets, we'll just steal them.' Guess how long the airlines would last? If it becomes free, then it becomes extinct.
Miles Copeland, manager (Sting), Salon, March 25, 2000 |
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...[All the artists] Napster abuses deserve respect for what they give us.
Sean "P Diddy (Puffy)" Combs, CEO Bad Boy Entertainment, Inc. |
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The band's music comes from the heart, and knowing how much hard work goes into making that music, this type of Web site makes us sick.
Rusty Harmon, Fischo Management (Hootie & the Blowfish) |
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