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| TOPPING THE LIST: Zahara won Album of the Year at the 18th Sama Awards held at Sun City. She also won Female Artist of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Best Selling Album, Best Smooth Urban Music Album and Best Collaboration. PHOTO: COBUS BODENSTEIN |
The reality of music piracy!
However, it is not happiness all the way. the issue of music piracy threatens the music industry in SA.
Music piracy is one of the main reasons why young and upcoming local artists don't make it as artists in South Africa. It is a problem that has been going for a long time and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere!
Some of the most pirated artists in South Africa include: Arno Carstens, Rebecca Malope, Mandoza, Joyous Celebration and the late Brenda Fassie.
There's been attempts by local musicians to fight against piracy but it doesn't seem to be working!
A pirated CD is cheap!
A genuine CD costs about R100 in store, a pirated copy of the same CD ridiculously costs between R5 and R10 from street vendors.
Unemployment is incresingly high, street vendors will do anything it takes to put some bread on the table!
Ordinary citizens don't want to spend a fortune on a single CD that's going to be scratched after a few days. So they'll continue to buy pirated music.
It's wrong to do that, but the reality of the matter is that it saves people money and they won't stop doing it!
What is government doing about music piracy?
From a PR angle, government has realised that piracy is slowly but surely killing the country. Among other activities, Department of Trade and Industry proposed new Anti Piracy Campaign which would see the creation of a commission to prevent intellectual property theft predominantly in the music industry.
But I don't think this is enough, people's perceptions and behaviour won't be changed by a campaign that simply says: "Be original, buy original"!
More work needs to be done. In the meantime, sharing and copying of music continues and artists are gaining peanuts!
There is only one way to kill the piracy.... invent/manufacturing dvd players or cd players or VCDs or any player to do with DVDs or CDs which are resisatnce to copied CDs or DVDs... am sure that can happen ... technology this days is so advanced
ReplyDeleteThat may help!
DeleteI have to agree with you Pebetse. The government, producers and everybody else is well aware of piracy and how it is affecting the young upcoming and old artists in our country. With the technology going on today it will not be a hustle to find a way to stop it. The IT guys are capable but why is the government not working with them to invent such?
ReplyDeleteMaybe because they don't want to spend too much money on such!
DeleteZahara did well for herself congrats to her thumbs up : )
ReplyDeleteIndeed the lady did good for herself!
DeleteI agree with you when you say paracy it here to stay, because we cant change peoples mind of what they told themselve they are going to do, couse they do piracy in order for them to get something to eat at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion.
DeleteWe are too poor as a nation to not expect our citizens to not be looking for the cheaper alternative if our people need more buying power and to get that we need ro create mor3e jobs and pay our citezens campaigns are a wast of time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion
DeleteIts sad that we buy original CDs of international artists but we cannot support our own artists in this country we simply see piracy as an option forgeting that they also need our support.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion
Deletewell it is very sad to see our local artists suffering because of us south africans hence they die broke and people tend to blame them on misusing the money and forget that they are also to blame.well done to zaharra...piracy wont stop now but if wea re serious as south africans we can end it after all nothing is impossible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion
DeleteAlways wonder why does the ad. feature Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo instead of Dr. Rob Davies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion
DeleteGuys this is true as much as it is cheap on our pockets we are taking away someones hopes, dreams and what they really worked hard for and that is not fair at all. Like any business would like to make money so would these artists.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your opinion
DeleteMusic piracy is the biggest issue in this country and its affecting the economy of this country. What is worse is that police help these scams do their dirty job and the department of Trade and Industry is trying its best to reduce this cruelty
ReplyDeleteLets not deprive our fellow South African musicians their jobs this is their way of putting food on the table. Lets stop piracy.
ReplyDeleteMusic Piracy is a huge problem in South Africa, I believe young and upcoming local artists don't make it as artists in South Africa because of piracy. South Africa needs to start supporting their stars financially.
ReplyDeletePiracy is a crime and it should be taken seriously. Yes,sometimes we cant afford the 'real deal' but let us think of those who are trying to make a living out of the music that they do. Let us not be selfish, if you can not afford something leave it.
ReplyDeleteWhat if you're only looking for one particular song from the album? Yes piracy is a crime but then CDs from the shop is quite expensive for some. And again, we are ripping off artists who are trying to make a living from making music.
ReplyDeletePiracy is a very big issue that the musician come across its so painful you release an album the next thing you see it they selling it at a cheaper price its so unfair to the music artist!
ReplyDeleteI think music distributors should start thinking of a new innovation that will replace CD's to lower down piracy, because with no doubt piracy wil take time to be rooted out.The besat thing to be done now is to think of the how are we going to replace CD's
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