Using Illegal Tracks in Your Mix

The internet has had massive benefits for society. It's streamlined pretty much everything, created industries, allowed instantaneous global communication and is truly a master invention of our age.

Yet with it comes downfalls, one of which is the huge strain it puts in the music industry. For DJs, it can be tempting to download tracks that could potentially be unreleased, for free, in seconds. Yet is it right?

The temptation to download the latest tracks for free can be huge, especially for amateur DJs. You're out there, struggling to make a name for yourself, as well as trying to not let it bankrupt you in the process. So, why does it matter, if I download a track or two for free? No-one will know and the people I play it to will enjoy it?

Well there's several reasons why it matters. For one, you're hurting the music you love (if you're a serious DJ you should love the music you play). Most producers produce in their spare time, spending countless hours perfecting their songs, all at their own expense. Imagine you drop a song that the crowd loves; it makes a great mix and you're loving the reactions. Imagine then you met the guy who wrote that song at the bar, wouldn't you want to buy him a drink? Just to say thanks? 

For me, paying for their music is like buying them a drink. They're helping you out, you help them out.

The worst case scenario is if the producer can't afford to spend so much time making music and has to stop. So when you buy that person's music, you're investing in them, saying 'I like what you've made, make more', as well as giving them the chance and resources to.

Another issue is that it's hard to morally justify using stolen music. The music makes the mix, so if you're getting paid to play it then the least you can do is give some of that money to the people who produced it. It's essentially no different from selling stolen goods.

However, despite it's very easy to take the moral high ground on this issue, I do believe it's part of a wider problem with the music industry, which I will talk about in another blog.

In conclusion, don't be a dick, pay for your music.