when do you "own" music?

Hard to describe the concept, but do you feel you own a copy of an album if its MP3 rather than physical? Does it have to be a certain bit rat / format? Do you have to pay for it to feel like you possess it?

I assume your answers are yes, probably and no, but here's where it gets murky. Do you feel the same way about an album or a song if your only experience with it is through streaming or hearing it without possessing a copy? Could you say you love an album you've only heard rather than owned (by certain definition)?

Hypothetically the answer should be yes, as music is for the listening, but it does not feel the same to know an album from streaming on Youtube... I dunno. Thoughts?

i don't feel like i own any music at all, even that that i've made

All forms of art should be free, donations and concert funds only.

I "own" an album when I have a physical copy of it.

Though I may say I "have" an album in a conversation even if it's just an MP3, for the sake of argument. Unless we're talking specifically about physical collections, of course. But if we're just talking about the music itself, I "have" it as far as the conversation is concerned - I have heard it and can listen to it at will.

On Rateyourmusic.com, where I catalog my collection, I used to only include what I had physically. Anything I had digitally and liked, I would mark as "wishlist". Then that got old and I realized there was no way I would acquire all these things physically, so I started marking them as "own" and "mp3" for the format. This also makes it much easier when browsing my collection by ratings, release year, etc. than if it was in the wishlist. Anyway I have no problem saying "own" in that respect because it also clearly says "mp3".

But I would never say "I own" in a conversation when talking about mp3s even if I paid for them.

I prefer to pwn my music.

If I acquired it for free, I have it. If I paid for it, I own it.

its just the streaming thing that gets me.

could I say I'm a fan of an album I've only heard on Youtube?

as soon as soulseek says "finished".

  On 12/1/2010 at 4:00 AM, sidewinder said:

I "own" an album when I have a physical copy of it.

 

Though I may say I "have" an album in a conversation even if it's just an MP3, for the sake of argument. Unless we're talking specifically about physical collections, of course. But if we're just talking about the music itself, I "have" it as far as the conversation is concerned - I have heard it and can listen to it at will.

 

But I would never say "I own" in a conversation when talking about mp3s even if I paid for them.

Pretty much sums it up.

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:40 AM, Sprigg said:

If I acquired it for free, I have it. If I paid for it, I own it.

I like this concept.

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:07 PM, halisray said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:40 AM, Sprigg said:

If I acquired it for free, I have it. If I paid for it, I own it.

 

I like this concept.

yes.

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:35 AM, tht tne said:

i don't feel like i own any music at all, even that that i've made

jw.. how could you not own the music you make?

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:28 PM, o00o said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:07 PM, halisray said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:40 AM, Sprigg said:

If I acquired it for free, I have it. If I paid for it, I own it.

 

I like this concept.

 

yes.

yup.

if I've bought a CD I can sell it on

if i've copyied or torrented it i just have it

if I've paid for it new (mp3 or CD) then I've done so to credit the artist and also to fund the means of finding or aquiring it via website or music shop

if I own the label that owns the copyright then I own it outright

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:49 AM, Backson said:

its just the streaming thing that gets me.

 

could I say I'm a fan of an album I've only heard on Youtube?

Of course. I can be a fan of a piece of art I saw in a museum once when I was a kid - even if I've never seen it since and of course don't own it. Liking something and owning/having it are two very very different things.

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:49 AM, Backson said:

its just the streaming thing that gets me.

 

could I say I'm a fan of an album I've only heard on Youtube?

I think I understand how you work.

According to you, you cant be a true "fan" of something unless you've bought the album, bought the tshirt, seen the film, been to the theme park and have a lunch box with their face(s) on it. Which isnt how I see things at all.

  On 12/1/2010 at 4:27 PM, mafted said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:35 AM, tht tne said:

i don't feel like i own any music at all, even that that i've made

 

jw.. how could you not own the music you make?

very carefully

  On 12/1/2010 at 6:41 PM, chassis said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 7:49 AM, Backson said:

its just the streaming thing that gets me.

 

could I say I'm a fan of an album I've only heard on Youtube?

 

I think I understand how you work.

 

According to you, you cant be a true "fan" of something unless you've bought the album, bought the tshirt, seen the film, been to the theme park and have a lunch box with their face(s) on it. Which isnt how I see things at all.

...yeah, sort of.

maybe i think wrong...

  On 12/2/2010 at 2:21 AM, Calx Sherbet said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 4:27 PM, mafted said:

  On 12/1/2010 at 3:35 AM, tht tne said:

i don't feel like i own any music at all, even that that i've made

 

jw.. how could you not own the music you make?

 

very carefully

nice. well i could definitely see it if you were a DJ just mixing other peoples' work, or P. Diddy and just sample someone else's work and rap over it. but, yea.