Saving Amateur's Songs as MP3s on my iPod - Ethical Question

The thread on WMG removing Sebi's account started me wondering about something else this week. Since taking up the uke a few months ago, I have been downloading many of the better (or even just more interesting) videos of uke players from YouTube and playing them on my iPod. In fact, since I have a second generation iPod Shuffle (only 1G) they have just about crowded out my paid for MP3s from the Apple store. Its sort of like those Total Immersion language courses, where you eat sleep, and think only in the language you are trying to learn - you know All Ukes, All the Time!

Many of the songs are cover songs, but many are also originals by UU members and other talented uke players. Setting aside the whole legality and ethics of unauthorized covers, do you guys think it is unethical to save an amateur's posting on YouTube or elsewhere and listen to it on your iPod or other MP3 player? Should you ask permission from the artist first?

SweetWaterBlue said:

Setting aside the whole legality and ethics of unauthorized covers, do you guys think it is unethical to save an amateur's posting on YouTube or elsewhere and listen to it on your iPod or other MP3 player? Should you ask permission from the artist first?

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Unless you plan on using them publicly, I think it's ok to go ahead and do it.

I don't plan on using any of them publically, but if you pull up beside my truck when I have the windows down, you might hear the melodius tones of Ken Middleton playing bluegrass, Doogey9 or DaddyStovepipe singing the blues, Casetone singing a 50s or a Renaissance song, and way too many others to mention. Heck, you might even hear Deach singing and playing Please Come Home for Christmas in February lol.

It definitely beats the thumpity thump of over-driven bass vibrating the neighbors windows

I'm sure that all amateurs would be delighted to know that someone actually listens to their songs on mp3. I'd just leave them a comment with appreciation or their work.

It might be more ambiguous with professional songs - if a record company posts a video clip, they wouldn't like it to be ripped from youtube instead of bought at itunes... Though I still believe that it would be legal, just as recording a song from the radio is (under Polish copyright law, at least).

In the real world, if you put it out there in the public, you can't be surprised that someone saved it.
Anyone who doesn't want their stuff saved, shouldn't post.
OTOH if they sell the song as a download, and you like it, it would be nice to buy a copy.

Paul December said:

In the real world, if you put it out there in the public, you can't be surprised that someone saved it.
Anyone who doesn't want their stuff saved, shouldn't post.
OTOH if they sell the song as a download, and you like it, it would be nice to buy a copy.

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Agreed.

I've ripped the audio out of Youtube vids for my own personal listening pleasure quite a bit. If it's an original song and the artist would prefer if I paid for it, I'd have no problem with that.