Many people who download loops, samples, and music software think they are using material that would otherwise have cost them at what they consider to be a much better price, free. But is it really free? There are other factors to consider when searching the web for illegal downloads on unmonitored forums or illegal torrent sites. Such factors include the risk of viruses and identity theft from sites seeking to steal valuable information, loss of all rights and posting of materials made from illegally downloaded content, and lack of support.

One of the fastest growing crimes worldwide and especially in the United States of America is identity theft. It seems that one cannot watch television or listen to the radio for more than half an hour without seeing or hearing a commercial that sells a service to protect your identity or promotes a certain credit card because of your identity. Anti-theft protection. The simple fact is that sites that allow illegal downloads are not very concerned with protecting the users of their site, as they are making money from membership fees or advertising. At worst, these sites are identity thieves, and the same download could contain a virus or Trojan horse from the site’s administrator or some other user who posted the content seeking access to your most personal information. How valuable is that set of construction loops, sample pack, or free music software if you download a virus that destroys your computer, or worse, download a trojan that steals your identity? Many of the illegal download and torrent sizes are hosted in war-torn and poverty-stricken countries where identity theft is rampant without effective monitoring or enforcement.

Every sample sound provider and music software developer has what many like to call the fine print. Terms and conditions can be found on almost all modern digital content. These terms and conditions set out the ground rules for using what is ultimately licensed and non-proprietary content. Many loop and sample sound companies explain that their product is royalty free as long as you add music or vocals. It also prohibits users from giving, borrowing, lending, selling or distributing the content without the written permission of the content owner. Therefore, under the statute of the rules, a person who illegally uploads or downloads a product falls outside of the royalty-free usage rules. In a nutshell, this means that if one downloads a product illegally, makes a successful registration, but is unable to show proof of purchase, they lose all rights, publishing and royalties, and at the same time become legally liable. Many sample sound companies now use watermarking technology that digitally marks and encodes all of their loops, sounds, and samples so that they can’t be tracked at all times, even if they’re edited or included in other music.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a musician who likes to read a manual or follow directions, but I know the numbers by heart for many of the rig support kits I have. I see product reviews all the time where customers make passionate claims for or against companies that stand behind performance. Sometimes it’s easier to pick up the phone and ask a question. Unfortunately, if you didn’t buy the content legally, you can’t register it. If you do not register the product, you cannot get any support. Many of the people who download content illegally don’t stop to think about all the research and development dollars that go into the product, the cost of hiring support teams, marketing, printing and pressing, and product distribution. They don’t think about all the work that goes into getting that product onto the shelves. Therefore, in the absence of reliable support for an illegally downloaded product, one must find the answers to questions that you may have related to your studio setup. This takes time, and as they say, time is money.

Simply put, illegal downloading is theft. Destroy the very product that people who illegally download the product love. It can cost you the loss of data and files from viruses, the loss of your identity, the loss of rights to music you create with illegally downloaded content, and the worst loss of all, time. Music software companies offer light edition versions of their products at reduced costs, and loop and sound sampler developers consistently provide free loops and sounds simply for joining their newsletter. There are too many affordable options available to pay the cost of illegal downloading.