Whitman is a good school

We don’t like it when people steal our stuff.

The outrage and fear on campus, following the recent spate of laptop thefts, testifies to that. Such reactions are understandable. A laptop holds a student’s work, the labor of one’s mind—one’s livelihood as a student. Few of us would ever condone stealing someone’s labor and livelihood.

Oh wait.

A recent poll of Whitman students asked the question: Do you download music without paying for it?

Fifty percent of 107 responders answered: “Sometimes.” Twenty-three percent responded, “All the time,” and 11 percent said they use bulk music subscriptions like Rhapsody. Only 16 percent said they consistently pay full price for their music.

It’s a sensitive subject. We are in the midst of a recession and many college students don’t have extra funds to throw around. However, the surge in illegal downloading impacts artists and the music industry in ways that students may not realize. Jim McGuinn, owner of local music store Hot Poop, spoke regarding the intense pressure on recording artists to perform strongly in sales.

“You get fronted money when you get signed up,” McGuinn said. “They say—your CD’s going to do well, here’s $50,000. Now you owe a couple hundred [thousand] for recording it and promoting it. When I used to do light shows, I met people who told me they still owed Sony, or in those days Columbia Records, for their albums. They had not recovered it. They’d sold a lot. But it cost more—to make it, promote it and tour.”

Despite pressures on individual artists, the music industry is often perceived as rich and financially stable.

“I feel like the music industry makes enough money that it’s pretty much okay to download music for free,” said sophomore Annie Truscott.

While top record executives like Doug Morris and Simon Cowell do have plenty of money, declining record sales force labels to be more conservative with the artists they sign, leading to dwindling diversity.

“It’s kind of like selling oil,” McGuinn said. “I talk like a Republican. But you’ve got to allow the record labels a chance to make some money. If they’re restricted, they’re not going to sign new artists. When you have Taylor Swift, they say, let’s go get another Taylor Swift. They’re not out trying to find the new best thing.”