Many experts have dealt with this question in the past, and have thus fur only come-up with tricks to accompany it, not fight it. Here’s a list of what I saw so far on the topic since “the oubreak”:

1. “Bar-code” notes: pre-release versions with small differences only the creators can spot. Look for them in the leaks and you know who fucked you. You can put the PR people you give promo CDs to on a contract, make them responsible that if it’s leaked (and u know who had what) - it’s their fault.

2. Digital media downloads: MP3, FLAC, images, will this bring more income or will it simply help spread piracy further? Your decision.

3. non-digital bonuses: Include with CD-purchase. Autographs, personal dedication, promotion-codes for future twisted buys, whathaveyou.

4. Money donation: seems reasonable at any rate.

5. Create hype: interactive special website, EP release, etc.

If you have any more suggestions, please contribute.

Ultimately theres really nothing that anyone can do to prevent piracy and there have been many failed attempts already. Consumers hate DRM encoded products because of the unnecessary restrictions they cause to people who arent trying to pirate the materials. IP blocking of pirates would never work bc theres no way of assimilating the person who needs to be blocked with that particular IP. Those are just two examples though of ideas designed to prevent piracy and not to create innovational ways of getting people to actually choose the path of buying over stealing. 

A few labels have actually tried putting different tags at the end of promo albums so when they come across a leak online they can identify who it was. However this is a very time costing procedure and theres nothing to stop the uploader from editing the tag out of the track(s) if they can find it. Having the early promo people sign contracts would also require legal fees which may or may not be worth the insurance of finding the leaker. Either way the new album will certainly be available on torrent sites on or after the release date.

People have been pirating music since the days of tape decks. In the late 60s early 70s radio stations used to have uninterrupted playing of the whole of both sides of new records. This was done so people could easily record the album for themselves. Its true that the internet has greatly increased the amount of music sharing and the RIAA has certainly brought the issue to the forefront, however I definitely do not think it can be said that piracy is the sole reason, or even the biggest reason for the slumping and sinking of the music industry

Realistically, we’re just looking at a whole new playing field for the music industry to adjust to. I don’t really think there’s ultimately much to be done about piracy, in the end. It does really suck that those who will struggle the most aren’t the inflexible behemoth record companies, it’s the smaller outfits that have so little financial slack to work with.

Realistically the only thing to slow down piracy is to include cool physical material.
Also to spread around the money situation of Twisted.
The most effective idea is simply to spread the artists around.
Post on forums and other sites to show love for these amazing and extremely one of a kind artists.

Put it simply: there is absolutely nothing to be done about piracy. Impossible.

Preventing piracy is a thing of the past: it should have been done before the “epidemic” exploded in their hands. Instead the music biz opted to ignore the budding (illegal) internet downloading community and stick to their overpriced 20+ euro Compact Discs. And heck, those plastic plates weren’t even real CDs because the Compact Disc standard forbids the use of hardware-based DRM.

...And when they finally realized that path will be a suicide, what did they do? Bring the crap DRM-filled shit and piss in their customers’ eyes. “To prevent piracy.” Wtf, it’s the quality CDs people are interested in, not the 128 kbps not-MP3 music their iShops are full of. The real reason for DRM was to enforce people into staying as their customers: you pay your monthly fees or we will not allow you to listen that music you did-not-buy-but-borrow-from-us.

The current situation is that they sell DRM-free music but then whine how they earn less due to illegal downloading. Well fuck you, you’re earning less because an album costs $10 in the internet shop and nobody buys those 20-dollar CDs anymore. And they run these commercials that are complete FUD and lies: “Piracy is stealing.” Stealing means you take something away from someone. Copying is not stealing and saying people would buy the equal amount of music they download illegally is a lie and they know it.

Sure, piracy would be a huge thing no matter what. But they tought people it’s OK to download and not buy anything, so now that’s how we see it. Making themselves look like liars and complete assholes who don’t care of their customers doesn’t help a slightest bit.

But heyy, the big companies have the money to do that so they just did. Too sad it’s the little labels that are affected by idiotic actions of the big labels. I’m almost tempted to say this is exactly what the big companies always wanted: small players can’t make it so the artists are forced to go with the big guys.

In general there’s nothing Twisted can do about it. They already sell cheap CDs and that’s what the only thing the masses really care, if anything. They don’t need the autographs, stickers nor posters so that won’t change anything, it just costs more money due for the manufacturers.

Piracy will always be around.  The only way I can really think of to combat piracy is to encourage people to buy legal copies, rather than discourage them from pirating.  Like others have said, DRM-laden discs/files hurt legitimate customers more than pirates.  Instead, labels should be encouraging people to buy legitimate copies by including things with the music/dvd that you can’t get otherwise, or, in the case of twisted, just release great music that people actually want to buy.  I admit, I first found out about Twisted artists through piracy.  Once I heard the music, though, I purchased actual CD’s, either from brick & mortar stores or straight from the Twisted website.  If you make something people want, they WILL pay for it.  If you’re a crap factory (like the big American labels or Hollywood) people won’t want to spend their money on your crap.

Edit: I just heard about the new Shpongle album already being posted online for people to download.  I’m not sure whether to be sad or angry about it.  If anything, it makes me want to buy more stuff from Twisted.  PLEASE do not download anything instead of buying it.  Twisted needs their fans to show their support.  If they don’t sell albums and end up going out of business, it’s the fault of everyone who downloaded their music rather than buying it.  No more sales means no more Twisted.  I KNOW people here don’t want that to happen.

I think the current system is doomed…

What we need is a change. I used to play a game called Warcraft 3 on PC, and there is a guy that made a special map/mod called Defence Of The Ancients, DOTA. It was free do download, and eventually became more popular than the whole game itself. At one point i saw the maker of that map make a comment in a forum, saying: “i’ve become bored of developing DOTA more, but i keep going because of all the donations…”. Eventually he passed on the task to another guy, but still. The point is that people realised that the guy were doing a great job fixing all the bugs and developing it further to make it more fun, and that without donations he wouldn’t make that map. Buying a CD is different. People have copied music for a long time, thinking “this doesn’t matter since others are buying the CD, and i wouldn’t buy it anyway”. If they instead thought “this was good and i’ll donate a few dollars” and then they decide how good it was (donating more or less). The costs would decrease for the label, they don’t have to release and ship any CDs, no real investments have to be made. Just upload the music to some music-portal for free download. They also get great advertise for their live gigs. Maybe even get the musicportal to pay some to artists since they should earn a lot from advertisments (like radiostations in Sweden do, pay to a company that distributes the money to artists accordingly)

Maybe musicians wouldn’t earn as much as madonna, and maybe they won’t be able to totally live on their music, i don’t know. But music would be more available and that alone will make people more interested. The important change of morale will take a few years, but it could be a reality. On my own behalf, after starting with piracy my personal interest in music increased a lot, and i buy more CDs now than i did before. I know i’m still amongst a minority of people, but anyway. People with moral exist. DRM and strong laws against piracy (and freedom on the internet) makes me want to buy less.

I’m not saying it’s the holy graal of all solutions, but it’s a possible route. An example is Infected Mushroom that travels across the globe making live performances everywhere (a lot more frequent than Simon). I have no idea how much they earn, but i figure they gotta earn something or it wouldn’t be worth the time.

A tough question. Without a doubt, downloads are now a part of the age in which we live. For some of the older members here, we can all remember making cassette tapes of albums, and nobody said too much about piracy then. Although the modern dissemination of media, with high speed internet, barely makes it an argument of comparison. Back then, you still had to have mates who owned the albums you were pirating, or be part of a tape-trading scene (such as the underground metal movement in the ‘80’s).

Flash forward to 2009 - I can download a couple of dozen albums and a few movies overnight if I wished to do. In fact, because my hard drive recently ceased to work, I did just that. However i don’t think Deep Purple are going to miss the royalties I’ve deprived them of LOL.

As I mentioned elsewhere, the real damage, the ultimate in questionable ethics, is downloading music from up & coming artists, or career underground bands who simply don’t have the high rotation on MTV, the page-space in Rolling Stone or the radio airplay.

So how do we stop piracy, or minimise the impact on artists who are struggling, and need that couple of dollars per album sale to keep the dream alive? It appears that the beast cannot be stopped; take a look at the ongoing legal saga with Pirate Bay. The answer perhaps lay in the motives behind people who illegally download.

Anyone care to share their reasons for downloading? Don’t be shy about it… unless you have downloaded Ineffable… then your IP address will be logged and Raja will come over and break your kneecaps LOL.

For me, it’s multi-faceted, in no particular order of importance:

1. It’s easy for me to look for complete discographies of music I already own on CD, rather than piss around burning each of them (I have A LOT of CD’s).

2. It’s nice to revisit a lot of the old stuff I listened to in my younger years, of which i used to own the albums (I used to own A LOT of vinyl)

3. It’s very satisfying to download Metallica, then send them an email telling them I’ve done so. The thought of Little Lars dancing around in his bathtub of money after he reads my message truly humours me.

4. Less often, but it’s nice to download a band’s album in the week prior to going to a gig where they are supporting. It dictates whether it’s worth popping in early or staying at the pub down the road before the band I’m interested in (and not always the headliner - sometimes i only go to see the support bands). Added bonus - if they’re cool I buy their CD at the gig… money straight into their pocket, with less middle men taking their pound of flesh. I like it, I buy it straight from the source. Simple.

5. The ‘taste-test’. I don’t love the entire genre of, let’s say ‘electro psy’ and all it’s tentacles, but the stuff I have found is spectacularly mind-blowing. So I don’t feel comfortable buying 20 crap CD’s (IMO) just to find that I really dig Phutureprimitive. However to download a wide cross section of the genre, I can review much more, and direct my spending habits to reflect my taste.

6. Sometimes I simply think that a band is already raping society via their label, and they don’t deserve my money, so I’ll download an album, enjoy it immensely, and jerk off to their Wikipedia page while madly cackling and pointing my tool at their bio shot.

I just realised that after such a big & pointless post, I didn’t get any closer to expressing a solution to the issue. Ah well, maybe next time. 

Cheers,

Hyperspiral