thanks, tsaint and Carol, for the links explaining the royalties question. i'm not going to become an investigative journalist to see just exactly how things are done in Russia. maybe receiving comparatively low royalties (in dollars per track) is favourable by the artists/labels rather than receiving nothing at all.
i think i will fire off a few emails to the artists that are available to download by the service and see what their views are (hopefully some spokesperson will reply from the labels). that's about the only way i'll put my conscience to rest on this matter.
-nudone
While you're at it, why don't you ask them how they feel about used CD stores? At least with the Russian sites they are getting
something in payment but they don't get a cent if you buy a used CD.
Where's Lars Ulrich's tears about how fans are stealing money out of his pockets when they buy that used copy of "Master of Puppets" from the local Disc-Go-Round? When it comes to purchasing used CDs they are actually losing money from someone who is willing to pay for a disc - with downloads that isn't always the case.