User blog:Chevsapher/My thoughts on reprints

Reprints... we all use them, admit it. Some Vocaloid fans seem to be downright adamant about using them, though. Is reprinting a legitimate practice? Is it morally right? I've been up to my neck in Vocaloid for the past year now, so I've been able to form some personal opinions.

First of all, if a producer does not upload a song at all to YouTube, I see no problem with reprinting it. If it's already free to listen to on Nico, then why not YouTube? However, if a song *does* have an official YouTube upload, then reprinting the song is definitely a no-no. Unfortunately, many people think that Nico is still the only place where the Ps hang out, and thus believe that everything is theirs to reprint. Bad idea. Rerulili, Mitchie M, DECO*27, Hachi, and many others have official YouTube song uploads, and we can only expect other producers to follow suite.

The big exception to all this? Subtitled videos. YouTube needs more good subtitled translations, period.

What about album-exclusive songs? This is where it gets rather messy. I don't think it's right to reprint album-exclusives, but on the other hand, they expose albums to people who would never have checked them out otherwise. If the album is virtually impossible to get ahold of and unlikely to be re-released, though, then I think reprinting is acceptable.

Finally, my advice to reprinters. Please, please, PLEASE provide a link to the original upload in the description of your reprint, and possibly state the producer's name and personal links. Don't just say "From Nico" or nothing at all. Remember, the producers making all these great songs aren't mindless drones working for Dwango. They're real people, most of whom are making music just for the fun of it. Also, check YouTube for already-existing reprints of a song; there is absolutely no reason to have multiple uploads of the exact same song.

Thanks for reading, guys. ^o^