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Teens Don't Buy Legit MP3s Because They Can't?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the seems-a-little-ehhh dept.

iSeal writes "According to a recent study, 13-17 year olds are both the most likely to pirate music, and also the most likely to own a portable MP3 player. Yet, as this article goes on to say, the lack of credit card ownership prevents teens from buying music online. The author maintains that since regular record shops don't sell MP3s, or gift cards to places that do sell MP3s, its practically impossible for teens to buy legit MP3s on their own. From the article: 'If the only way to obtain music online continues to be through illegitimate means, then we are no better off than in the days of Napster.'" I'm not sure I agree with some of the conclusions here (you can buy iTunes cards at Walgreens), but it's an interesting discussion.

10 of 365 comments (clear)

  1. DRM by BerkeleyDude · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't buy MP3s because there's no freaking way to just buy the files - not stream them, not download DRMed crap, but just buy the plain old MP3s.

    Rhapsody? iTunes? Can't do that.

    Only independent websites (e.g. magnatune.com) have the decency to give you something worth paying money for.

    1. Re:DRM by bartron · · Score: 5, Funny

      because there's no freaking way to just buy the files
      Where I buy all of my mp3's from I can do jsut that....DRM free ;)
      Bartron

  2. More productive research by Seiruu · · Score: 5, Interesting
    IMO, much more interesting to know is who
    1. Wouldn't buy them anyway if they couldn't have gotten them through illegal means (IMO the majority)
    2. Would buy them anyway after getting them through illegal means (somewhat split with the third option)
    3. Wouldn't buy them after getting them through illegal means
  3. Debit Cards by jjeffrey · · Score: 5, Informative
    OK Credit Cards aren't available to under 18's but in the UK at least you can get a debit card from as young as 13 - a lot of kids have them and they work on iTunes here.

    Not the same in the US?

    1. Re:Debit Cards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And on the iTMS you can buy Pre-Paid cards from Tescos/Sainbury's/Asda, you can set up an allowance funded by your parents' credit card or can recieve a non-physical gift over the internet. There are plenty of ways that an under 18 can access legal music, the reason they don't is because 79p is worth a lot more to a 13 year old than it is to a 24.

    2. Re:Debit Cards by Pc_Madness · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Indeed, the prepaid cards for iTunes are everywhere, so its not so much an excuse of not being able too cos of a lack of a credit card.. but more the fact that most teens that age don't have money, and if they do, why would you want to spend what little you have on something everyone else is getting for free? I know I got funny looks when I announced I bought some songs from iTunes (and regret it since cos of all the hassle the DRM has caused me).

  4. I don't buy MP3s because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is no fucking point. If the cops ever stop at my house, I'm screwed anyway: I copy CSS protected DVDs (illegal), I listen to copyprotected CDs on my MP3 player (illegal), I have and know how to use Wireshark (formerly known as Ethereal, soon to be illegal where I live), I encrypt my data (my own data, not illegal but encryption means I'll never get my hardware back). I might as well go all the way. That's what legislators need to get through their thick heads: If you make normal behaviour illegal, you produce criminals. Not only do you hang a sword over the head of good citizens, you also cause more illegal behaviour. If people don't have a fighting chance to be law abiding citizens, then they stop caring about the saner parts of the law as well.

  5. It's too bad CDs aren't around anymore by bwalling · · Score: 5, Funny

    I remember back when I was young, we could go out and by music on optical discs. They played in your stereo, in your car, and you could even rip them to MP3. You could even head down to a used record store and pick up used CDs for around $8. Of course, back in those days, we had to walk both ways, up hill, in the snow.

  6. Re:Maybe tens simply lack the money? by Gilmoure · · Score: 5, Funny

    That reminds me, my daughter's 6th birthday party is tomorrow and I need to pick up a case of beer. Kids like Miller, right?

    --
    I drank what? -- Socrates
  7. Re:well then by Mike89 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's not at all the reason why. The reason (at least for me) for getting MP3s 'illegally' is because I have such a varying taste of music and munch through it so quickly, it's not economically viable for me to buy the amount of albums I actually download just to try out an artist. I'll download an artists discography and randomly insert their tracks into my regular playlist, usually as I go to sleep. If a track wins my attention, I'll remember it and it'll become part of my regular listening. However, most bands cannot capture me with more than a couple of songs. For the bands who do, I don't want to buy low-quality DRM ridden MP3s via some crappy software. 3 bands have managed to "Woo" me enough for me to spend money on them, so I go to CDUniverse and use my Paypal account (doesn't require credit card) to get their albums (or DVDs) posted to me. One local band (The Living End) has managed to get me as a fan, and I've bought all their releases bar one since I started liking them. I downloaded the one I didnt buy (illegally), and didnt like that much of it. But, I've gone 2 of their concerts based around that release, so theyve more than made their money back off what I "deprived" them of by downloading it. I bought their live version of the same album because I like the songs live. So, no, we don't download illegally just because it's cool.