Download U2 album online for free – thanks to group’s record label
U2, the Irish rock group who are loved and hated in equal measure and are led by Jesus mark II, Bono, are releasing a new album, No Line On The Horizon, on March 2, 2009. But you can download the album online now for free thanks to a mess up by the group’s own record label.
The news that an album has leaked onto the Internet before it’s officially released is hardly news. After all, it happens all the time. But it’s the nature of this leak and how it’s happened in spite of the band’s efforts to prevent a leak that makes the U2 album more newsworthy than most.
U2 and their manager have been quite forthright in their views on music piracy in the past. This time last year, Paul McGuinness, who has managed U2 for 30 years, called for anyone caught sharing copyrighted material to be booted off their ISP.
In preparation for the release of No Line On The Horizon, the group’s first new album for five years, U2 have gone to crazy lengths in order to prevent an early leak and ensure good first-day sales. Rather than send out preview copies to journalists, U2 held ‘listening parties’ where invited guests had to listen to the new album in unison after giving up any devices capable of recording at the door.
Unfortunately, one simple but very costly mistake by Universal Music Australia means the album is now all over file-sharing Web sites and available as a torrent, two weeks ahead of release. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the digital version of the album was available to buy on the record label’s own site, getmusic.com.au, for a few hours earlier this week.
Someone then realized the mistake and immediately withdrew the album from sale, but not before scores of fans had spotted the mistake and taken the opportunity to get hold of No Line On The Horizon early. One of these people then likely uploaded the album to a file-sharing site and the rest, as they say is history.
I’ve never really liked U2 anyway, and especially since Bono started preaching to the world from his gold-encrusted ivory tower. So I don’t really have any sympathy. The fact is, No Line On The Horizon will still sell millions of copies around the world, making the band and the record company an absolute fortune. So it doesn’t really matter, does it.
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February 21st, 2009
“The fact is, No Line On The Horizon will still sell millions of copies around the world, making the band and the record company an absolute fortune. So it doesn’t really matter does it.”
It’s these kind of narrow minded attitudes that simply amaze me. It’s also a shocking piece of journalism to state “you can download the album online now for free”. That is a completely untrue statement….. you can illegally download the album online. Your socialist attitudes suggesting, “U2 will still sell millions of copies making the band and the record company a fortune” are the very reason piracy exists. It’s like saying it’s OK to walk into Harrods or Bloomingdale’s and take a designer garment because “they’re a big company”. Music piracy is theft. The lost revenue won’t just affect U2. There are management, marketing, publicity, publishing, promotions staff that all have families, mortgages and children to feed. Idiots like you don’t think your comments through. Music is fast becoming of little or no monetary value – great you say? But eventually there will come a time that new bands actually won’t be able to make music full time and so music lovers will suffer. Gees, is 99c for your favourite song really that much? Wake up to yourself Dave Parrack and think about what you write and how your foolish words might influence people into thinking that music should be for free. OK, so U2 have enjoyed the fruits of success from an era ‘pre’ illegal downloads but spare a thought for the new artist devoting their lives to an artist endevour being ruined by piracy. To think that’s cool is ignorant, arrogant and selfish.
February 21st, 2009
“I’ve never really liked U2 anyway, and especially since Bono started preaching to the world from his gold-encrusted ivory tower.”
Way to go Dave, ignore the grotesque issues of world poverty and hunger and the environment just cos you got a childish nark-on about the guy bringing it to your attention.
Is it upsetting to be reminded that your donation to Live Aid etc etc didn’t solve everything, once and for all?
The real shame here is that more of the world’s most privileged can’t – or won’t – spare their time helping to raise the pitiful state of general aweness about these matters.
But no, I guess you’d rather they didn’t bother, in case it came over as all ‘preachy’, huh?
……and you’ve got a f*cking cheek with that “gold-encrusted ivory tower” comment.
How much of your income, time and effort do you share with those far far less fortunate than you from YOUR “gold-encrusted ivory tower” Dave?
(cos you do realise that to well over 60% of all the people alive today in the world you are a rich man in a “gold-encrusted ivory tower”?)
Wake up Dave.
Whatever the real reason for your little bash at Bono the fact is we need more loud-mouth guys like him pushing people out of their blinkered comfort-zone sleep.
Shame on you.
March 2nd, 2009
@DaveBG,
Bono (does he have a surname?) thinks that he has a right to preach because he has made a lot of money by not singing very well. There are many of his ilk today: precious, pompous, preening prognosticators.
Bono should acquaint himself with the following, and ponder on what it means: “[..] when you give to the poor and needy, do so in secret [...]“.
September 8th, 2009
hellooo
how are u?
u2 are amazing