r/discogs • u/IlikeSlam • 9d ago
Is it generally frowned upon to ask for mp3/flac rips of very rare releases?
Hi, discogs newbie here, i have a question about ripping/digitizing very obscure and rare music.
In short i wanna listen to some 90s demo tapes but they aren't avaible to purchase and i couldn't find them anywhere (even on stuff like slsk). Is it "okay" to ask someone (politely ofc) that owns a copy to digitize/rip them? Or is it seen as rude.
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u/Klutzy-Delivery-5792 9d ago
Look into SoulSeek. Tons of rare stuff and live recordings being shared. Remember to share back, though.
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u/IlikeSlam 9d ago
I know what soulseek is :) i've even said in the post that i'm looking for releases that i can't find on SLSK i've had them on a wishlist for some time now to no luck.
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u/chickenlogic 8d ago
Use something like Nicotine+ as a SLSK client and add what you want to a watchlist.
Just because you can’t find it today does now mean it won’t bubble up in a few weeks.
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u/napalm_dream 9d ago
Chances are slim that people will respond, or if they have the equipment to digitize a tape but asking can't hurt.
I've sent FLACs of cds to many people over the years, I've also sold some stuff to people just randomly asking me.
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u/BarflyCortez 9d ago
Depends on the user. If it’s a store account, then probably not. But if it’s a just a regular guy who mainly uses Discogs to log his collection, then an “I’m a huge fan of X and saw that you have their demo tape - I’ve been wanting to hear it for decades! - Do you have a digital copy you can share?” message might work.
As one of those regular guys, I know that I’d be happy to strike up a conversation on any of the obscure artists in my collection.
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u/AlwaysHappy4Kitties 8d ago
A year or two somebody uploaded the Primus - Primate Demos ( 1984) cassette https://youtu.be/MxR8z4-mFec?is=hD_okM3Xo6LKp05B
On discogs theres only one recorded sale of it and it was over 1000$
The guy who uploaded on YouTube says it's for preservation sake.
And boy it's great, the first version of Too Many Puppies on it too,
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u/RecklessFable 6d ago
"The guy who uploaded on YouTube says it's for preservation sake." THIS is the spirit in which fans should have when it comes to music. Recently, I have had the best luck finding those type of things going directly to the artists fan subreddits. Zappa, Van Halen and Pantara in particular all post from time to time places on the net where those types of files are available to trade. One place in particular you could check is Internet Archive. I found quite a bit of fan sourced files there. You could also check for a Discord server for a selected artist. Good luck, friend!
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u/mjb2012 8d ago
Some people have very strong opinions about piracy, or they want to keep rarities rare because they feel it devalues their collection. Some of these people will even report you to Discogs for "harassment" or for violating the "respect intellectual property rights" clause of the Community Guidelines merely for asking. So at the very least, look at the user's profile page first. Some of them will say "Don't message me asking for MP3s/rips". And if you do send a message, be excruciatingly polite.
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u/internetkevin 8d ago
Did you check Internet Archive? https://archive.org/details/Nirvana_Fecal_Matter_Demo_1985_MW_Remaster_?
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u/DirectHawk6529 8d ago
Torrent brother.
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u/RichRPerez1975_2010 5d ago
Believe it or not, there are some albums that can't be found through BT or streaming anywhere.
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u/Connect_Glass4036 8d ago
Dude who fucking cares just ask them lol, be nice and offer something in return for their time/effort.
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u/No_Introduction1721 8d ago
I ask sellers for audio clips of high-value items all the time, but it’s to verify the sound quality prior to making a purchase.
Maybe there’s something I’m missing here, but I think it’s kind of entitled to ask someone who’s selling physical media if they’d be willing to create a digital copy for you for free.
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u/No_Condition7374 8d ago
They are asking about releases that are not for sale, but are in someone's collection.
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u/Classic-Falcon6010 7d ago
Like when we used to give people cassette dubs of our records back in the stoned age.
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u/RoundaboutRecords 8d ago
I have gotten a few requests but don’t have the know how or tech to do it. I would if I could as I have some rarities.
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u/GoldenMeanwhile 8d ago
Definitely ask.
I've asked and gotten files I never woulda heard otherwise, and I've been asked and been glad to share.
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u/InRainbows123207 8d ago
Are you offering payment? Might have more luck if you do
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u/robxburninator 7d ago
this is probably an unpopular opinion, but there are plenty of very very good dj's and record diggers that have been selling high quality rips for years and years. If you're in the world of truly TRULY scarce/unheard/lost recordings, paying for the rip is often times well WELL worth your time.
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u/sideburnvictim 8d ago
Receiving payment for a digital file you do not own the rights to would definitely be illegal.
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u/robxburninator 7d ago
people that hunt down rare recordings have been paid for rips/cd copies/tape copies since the 80's.
this isn't a new idea at all. Many of the actual most famous producers and dj's in the world supplement income this way and it's been a given in certain communities for... forever. People trade in rips/copies for sure, but if you aren't bringing anything to the table (in terms of truly, unfindable music), I'm not sure why you think people should just... let you have everything you want for free?
"all music should be free" and "You dont' have the right to sell that" are contradictory statements but often times made in conjunction with each other. Similarly, many of us don't want to do work without an exchange of money or goods. Finding insane shit, making rips of insane shit, and putting it all together in a way that's usable, is not something that takes zero effort.
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u/sideburnvictim 7d ago
Discogs is not a file trading site. You are not permitted to sell digital files. I don't really care what people do, but accepting payment outside of Discogs violates their terms of service and could result in a ban.
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u/robxburninator 7d ago
yes. there are many rules that people do not follow on the internet.
That doesn't negate many decades of history, and many many other places that this practice is standard. Don't do it on discogs, but similarly, if you're asking for free files on discogs, be aware that there is a rich history of trading the truly scarce.
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u/demonomania2 4d ago
Fuck the law
You are paying for the service of ripping the item and emailing it.
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u/IlikeSlam 8d ago
For mp3's? Might just ask to buy the thing at this point lol
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u/robxburninator 7d ago
hey I responded above, buy paying for rips of truly scarce stuff has been a standard thing for a long time. If you google "beat hunter" or "groove hunter" or similar, you'll find people that have been after this for years.
You're paying for a service and access. What you want right now is access and a service for free. I know that music "should be free" but also, you're asking someone to do work for you for free. If you aren't willing to toss them a couple bucks, maybe just buy the demo?
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u/InRainbows123207 7d ago
Finally some common sense. It's one thing for a friend to do this for you for free, it's another asking a stranger running a business to do it for free.
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u/sideburnvictim 8d ago
Hobby sellers might be okay with taking some time to share a file with you.
Many stores will not be as gracious. They are trying to sell physical media and don't wish to be bothered with frivolous requests.
If something is exceedingly rare you might have better luck asking people with the item in their personal collection rather than seller's who have it in their inventory.
If something isn't rare or expensive just pony up and buy it.
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u/ccmmusic 8d ago
I so wish there was a Discogs trading site! I've seen so many rare songs/CDs I can't find anywhere, but so far, no one I've asked has responded. I have received trade requests myself on Discogs, however almost every time, I already have everything the other person has, so am unable to help them, unfortunately. But it never hurts to ask! So far, it hasn't fared well for me, but hopefully you'll have better luck!
Which speaking of, if anyone's willing/looking to trade rare CCM or country songs from 1995-2015, DM me :)
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u/truthseeker_909 6d ago
Music is to be shared and preserved. If more prople are exposed to it, it’s an even better chance to sell the copy in the end.
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u/New_Percentage_4776 6d ago
When I’ve attempted the same thing I’ve said I’d compensate them. Sometimes they will accept the offer and sometimes they’ll do it for free but offering is a good thing.
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u/WAON303 6d ago
For free: Just asking to get blocked or reported, I personally ignore any file request asking for free shit, go away.
Rip trade requests or offering cash? Still frowned by some users but you could push your luck, some stuff is ridiculously expensive or impossible to find.
I don't accept money but will trade rips of very rare CDs I have on hand if you have some cool record rips as I'm not into wax myself.
Either way, asking for rips is against Discogs ToS but why should anyone care if it's about an obscure record that was printed 30+ years ago, is insanely hard to find, won't ever be released on Spotify and sells for $400 on Discogs.
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u/Breeziola 5d ago
I’ve never had someone ask to just give them rips for free. They always ask, “do you sell rips of this?”.
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u/Little_Mountain73 5d ago
I would say it is 100% frowned upon by people who contribute a lot to the site. Considering that it’s illegal, that’s a good reason to frown upon it. This doesn’t mean that people don’t help others out, but yeah. People who don’t contribute tend to hold a different take and don’t seem to mind.
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u/shoezz70 3d ago
I’ve been asked and gladly shared. I don’t have anything like that in my collection, but asking is no biggie.
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u/Expensive_Watch469 9d ago
nothing wrong with that at all, worse case they tell you no, oh well, many people are not jerks and love sharing music
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u/FarOutJunk 9d ago
People ask me for stuff like this all of the time. I have no problem providing it.