Bootlegging, A Guide To (Real)

Tape Trading For Fun And Profit

Author: Mike Schmitt
Date: 1996/11/29
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Over the course of time, you're sure to run into them. You can't recognize them by sight: male and female, tall and short, plump or scrawny, they come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, if you're reading this you may very well be one of them. Yes, I mean bootleggers. So if you're one of them, or plan to be, read on and learn of the art!

Definition Of Bootlegging

Bootlegging is traditionally the buying and selling of an illegal product. In the 1920s, the United States had the Prohibition against alcohol and many people turned to bootleg moonshine [1]. Although this is what you'll find in a book, this is not the bootlegging I refer to. What I refer to is tape trading. And, unlike alcohol, it is technically legal to "bootleg" cassette tapes.

As we are aware, you cannot legally record an officially released compact disc or cassette on to a blank cassette. There is at least one exception, however, and that's in Italy, where there are no such copyright laws [2].

A person may record a concert and keep it for their personal use, they may distribute it, but they may not sell it legally. Big companies work their way around this by bring their tapes to Italy and producing compact discs there. When brought back to the United States, or another country, they can be sold or copied as much as they please.

Two Types Of Recordings

There are two types of bootleg recordings, DAT and Soundboard (commonly abbreviated to "SB"). DATs, or Digital Audio Tapes, are similar to cassette tapes in appearance, but are more expensive, and do not record "air noise". Even so, you tend to get more of the crowd than the music on tape, so only concert-goers (non-company people) tend to use this method.

Soundboards are the alternative. Bootleg companies purchase these, because of the superior near-studio quality sound. Basically, a soundboard is the audio that enters the microphones on stage, and is stored digitally on a special recording device (called the soundboard, of course). This method tends to pick up more of the music, and less of the audience.

If you find a bootleg compact disc for sale and it does not say "soundboard" on it, I would question the dealer; non-SB discs are not worth the high price tag attached, which is usually between 22 and 28 American dollars.

Trading Rules

These rules tend to vary from trader to trader, but the general guidelines are as follows:

1. Use Type II tapes, preferably Maxell XL-II.
2. Send the tapes out the same day as the other guy.
3. Use a padded envelope.
4. Do not include a tape case or J-Card.
5. Do include a set-list and all info available.
6. If a song cuts off, restart the whole song on the back of the tape.

I repeat: these rules tend to vary.

Selling Prices

If someone wishes to have a copy of one of your shows, the going price for a cassette seems to be five American dollars, including the case. You may wish to lower it to four dollars [3]: a lower price may get you more customers. Note: the author does not advocate the illegal sale of these tapes.

The selling price of a compact disc tends to vary more. I have seen discs, including postage, costing between thirteen and thirty dollars. As a rule, I try not to deal with people selling for more than sixteen dollars unless I'm extremely interested. It just isn't worth the time and money, and someone will sell a copy cheaper sooner or later; it always happens.

Grading

Grades follow the basic A through F scale, using pluses and minuses to help determine the quality just a tad more. Here is an easy-to-follow guide:

          A+) This is a recording just as good as a studio recording, and
              is therefore decent leggage.  A must have for collectors.
           A) Almost as good as A+, but maybe their CD player skipped once
              during recording.
           B) The music is still very clear and singing distinct, but some
              of the crowd somehow got mixed in.
           C) This is probably someone using an analog tape recorder.  Fizzy
              sound, and some crowd filling the foreground.
           D) Pure bull.  Barely able to tell it's music.  Only for people
              looking for complete sets.  Basically:  don't even bother.
           F) Someone recording the concert sounds _exactly_ like some
              recording an air conditioner constantly exploding or
              dehydrolatittilating.  Perhaps a nice Christmas gift for that
              punk girl that turned you down last month?

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Hope to deal with you soon!

[1]	A great percent died from it, too, due to poor fertilization, and use of rubbing alcohol [4] in the mix.
[2]	This is a hazy legal point and, as such, if you get in trouble here, you may be able to enter a plea of insanity.
[3]	Blank tapes themselves cost anywhere from one to two and a half dollars, and postage would be roughly a dollar, so you're still making profit. Besides, the whole idea is sharing, not selling.
[4]	Rubbing alcohol is something you put on cotton to rub on wounds, to heal them.