Music, Politics

Club DJs Under Investigation for Piracy

DJ ToolsOK, folks. Here’s a story to keep an eye on: Investigation into DJ piracy amid claims newcomers are stealing the show from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Wow! The music industry’s going to crack down on club DJs now. Great way to try and snub out one of your most important means of PR, music industry!

From the article:

…legitimate DJs were being undermined by pirates who could afford lower rates. “I’ve come across people that I’ve DJed alongside at various functions where their laptops have been filled with MP3s – they show it off,” he said.”If I’m going out buying vinyl and I’ve got some young buck with a computer full of 20,000 MP3s, it’s hard to compete.”

Good points in response on this forum:

…there is some seriously misguided thinking comeing out of this article.

[DJs] could have also bought them on the endless supply of music stores online – namely beatPort which explicitly said that playing their music, subject to local copyright laws, live is perfectly legit. Equating MP3’s to piracy is like equating food to crime. A high quality DRM free song isn’t always pirated. Get with the times and don’t assume vinyle is the only legitimate form of music in clubs.

…P2P is the best thing that has ever happened to club music because more music can be seriously exposed. Just look at the study commissioned by the government of Canada and you’ll note that if I’m using P2P, I’m far more likely to pay for music.

This looks beyond the fact that DJs are an incredibly powerful way to promote music. It isn’t the first time that the music industry attacked those helping their industry flourish, so if the record companies are breathing down your backs DJs, don’t play their music. They’ve clearly gotten greedy enough to ruin your livelihood because they think they are better off suing you than letting you help them gain exposure…

More from this forum ->

Read the article in the Sydney Morning Herrald ->

15 thoughts on “Club DJs Under Investigation for Piracy

  1. Don’t stress guys, only in Australia could this happen. The aussie inquisition will find any way to make a quick buck…it won’t hold up, it would have to be the biggest law suit in history to succeed

  2. so……. if I own 4000+ vinyl……. and then download the SAME SONG I’VE ALREADY BOUGHT, I should feel guilty for rocking Serato when I play out?

    I’d rather not bust my back carrying around vinyl !

    and who ever was quoted saying:

    “legitimate DJs were being undermined by pirates who could afford lower rates. “I’ve come across people that I’ve DJed alongside at various functions where their laptops have been filled with MP3s – they show it off,” he said.”If I’m going out buying vinyl and I’ve got some young buck with a computer full of 20,000 MP3s, it’s hard to compete.”

    Needs to wake up, smell the shite that they are shoveling and go get a fucking office job – hows remixing on the fly for violating copyright? FUCK OFF YOU CUNT – that IS djing…….

  3. Good post, F–k the big record companies who think they can control music and sue random people for having some tunes downloaded. Instead, gimmi loads of free tunes, ill DJ and promote them, and tell people where to Buy them.

  4. “I’ve come across people that I’ve DJed alongside at various functions where their laptops have been filled with MP3s – they show it off,” he said.”If I’m going out buying vinyl and I’ve got some young buck with a computer full of 20,000 MP3s, it’s hard to compete.”

    This is so tired. You can have all the mp3’s and all the hi-tech gear you want, that doesn’t make you a cheat or a fake DJ. Nor does having a room full of vinyl make you a legitimate or good DJ. Whatever your medium, analog or digital, you gotta know how to blend, and what songs to play and when, so you can motivate the crowd and keep the party going. THAT is what makes a DJ. Skills, peroid.

  5. Totally agree with Mandarin’s last comment…who care’s what medium the music is all that matters…go dj’s go

  6. I think all DJs should buy the tunes that they use for gigs they get paid for.

    Think about it, you’re getting paid off of another persons art.

    However, I do think helping to promote people is equally important and you should use the net to find new music.

  7. Meh. Let ’em hunt me down. How the fuck is an upstart like myself gonna afford all the primo shit to get slots? I’m already offing to do sets for free. I can’t, is what it simply comes down to. Things like rent, utilities, food, insurance, gas, etc, etc, takes precedence So I sail the seas of p2p, plundering all the booty I see fit. As well as pillaging the youtube, the soundcloud and other sources! ARRR!

  8. You realize that before the internet and P2P became so popular, upstarts had to pay for all the “primo shit” in order to play in clubs right? It can be done.

Comments are closed.