There’s something that I have to come clean about: I’ve never done it.

“It,” of course, is referring to downloading music off the Internet. At this point, you’re probably asking yourself, “Does this guy live in a cave?” or “Has he been asleep for a while, like the last decade or so?” And the answers to those questions are “no” and “no.”

When it comes to checking out new music, I do, in fact, preview tracks from artists’ Web sites or any of the many mp3 sites. I like to know what I’m getting, though now and then I’m guilty of buying a new release (or five) on impulse.

Previewing a few tracks off a release you might be interested in is comparable to trying on a pair of jeans in a department store: Everything has to fit just right before you fork over your cash.

So why not follow the current trend of downloading those tracks that I dig?

I’d like to think that I have a deep, philosophical answer prepared for you, but I don’t. The truth is, I don’t go overboard and spend myself into the poor house. I can be pretty frugal when it comes to handling my money – just not when it comes to music. Outside of seeing live performances, what better way for me to spend my money than on the new Enon or Detachment Kit album?

I’d much rather have piles of records rather than a huge collection of MP3 files. It’s just a matter of preference, I suppose. Heading out to a local record store might be a rare occurrence for some, but not for me. I relish being able to head out and browse the racks at Reckless Records, 3157 N. Broadway, Chicago, or Record Rev right here in town, 817 W. Lincoln Highway.

For me, it’s therapeutic. I tend to forget those nagging worries that tense people up during the course of a day. I become engrossed in what I haven’t heard and can’t live without owning.

But then again, maybe if I owned a computer … nah, it’s just a matter of preference.

The preference of downloading music off the Internet (for free, did I mention that?) continues to be a big issue in the news world. Most recently, the topic came up at the annual South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas.

Hilary Rosen, president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents the five major record labels, told a roomful of listeners, including Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot, about a survey showing that 34 percent of consumers didn’t buy more albums last year because they found what they wanted for free on the Internet.

One complaint Rosen has about the music industry is that it’s become too enamored with the compact disc as its primary format. Rosen likens this mistake to that of a soft-drink company “selling its product only in 64-ounce bottles.” She maintained that the price of CDs is not the issue; rather it’s the lack of variety in pricing.

I fully support Rosen’s claim that the CD shouldn’t be the music industry’s sole outlet for releases. But I also realize that she’s talking about digital files and not vinyl. (That’s probably another column for another day.)

As far as pricing goes, I can’t say that I blame anyone for downloading music off the Internet and avoiding the nearly $20 price tag for a release. Until CDs come down in price, the downward spiral will continue for the RIAA.

So call me stupid for spending my hard-earned cash on something that I easily could obtain for free. So call me a geek for obsessing over some noise that people make and happen to capture on tape. I’ve been called worse.