Study Says Music Sharing Doesn't Kill CD Sales

[Jason Dunn]

http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5181562.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news

"A study of file-sharing's effects on music sales says online music trading appears to have had little part in the recent slide in CD sales. For the study, released Monday, researchers at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina tracked music downloads over 17 weeks in 2002, matching data on file transfers with actual market performance of the songs and albums being downloaded. Even high levels of file-swapping seemed to translate into an effect on album sales that was "statistically indistinguishable from zero," they wrote.

"We find that file sharing has only had a limited effect on record sales," the study's authors wrote. "While downloads occur on a vast scale, most users are likely individuals who would not have bought the album even in the absence of file sharing." The study, the most detailed economic modeling survey to use data obtained directly from file-sharing networks, is sure to rekindle debates over the effects of widely used software such as Kazaa or Morpheus on an ailing record business."

Talk about a bomb! This article goes against what most of us probably believe, that file sharing means people buy less CDs. What are your own opinions about this?

[Jason Dunn]

http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5181562.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news

"A study of file-sharing's effects on music sales says online music trading appears to have had little part in the recent slide in CD sales. For the study, released Monday, researchers at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina tracked music downloads over 17 weeks in 2002, matching data on file transfers with actual market performance of the songs and albums being downloaded. Even high levels of file-swapping seemed to translate into an effect on album sales that was "statistically indistinguishable from zero," they wrote.

"We find that file sharing has only had a limited effect on record sales," the study's authors wrote. "While downloads occur on a vast scale, most users are likely individuals who would not have bought the album even in the absence of file sharing." The study, the most detailed economic modeling survey to use data obtained directly from file-sharing networks, is sure to rekindle debates over the effects of widely used software such as Kazaa or Morpheus on an ailing record business."

Talk about a bomb! This article goes against what most of us probably believe, that file sharing means people buy less CDs. What are your own opinions about this?

[JTWise]

[RANT]

[Insert SOAPBOX emoticon from PPCT here]

Somebody not paid by the RIAA finally gets it right. Most people who pirate and share music would not have bought the CD anyway. There are a few people I know that use the "Shareware" rational and will then buy a CD that they would have otherwise not bought because they listened to it from Kazaa, liked it, then chose to support the artist with a purchase.


The RIAA uses subsidized studies and strongarm tactics to get their point accross. I mean, these are the guys who wanted a cut of the profit on every CD-ROM that is sold to be burnt to subsidize them for lost CD sales? Give me a break. I can't tell you how many CD-R's I have bought, and I have never used one for pirating!! The RIAA needs to realize that most Netizens are honest, hardworking people who have better (and more moral) things to do with their day then to steal music.

[/RANT]

[Crocuta]

This is not even close to the first study to show this same result, though I'm glad they did it. And frankly, even though being associated with Harvard doesn't genuinely guarantee that the study was well done, the public has that perception and we need the public to understand this point.

The RIAA is manned by idiots that couldn't find their rear ends with both hands. If they had put half the energy into exploiting the sales potential of online distribution that they've put into trying to stop it, they'd be setting records (no pun intended) instead of seeing sales continue to fall.

[cptpoland]

I'm actually not at all surprised by the study. Personally I never found Kazaa usefull enough to actually download songs, because with my luck all the songs that I found were really badly encoded, and it was a torture to listen to. So I quickly gave up. But with the limited exposure I found a few new artists that I enjoyed (surprise surprise went out and bought their CDs). In any case with all the "great artists" out there, being pushed by the recording industry, no wonder the CD sales are low. My questions is what about all those old albums that are out of "print"? Can't buy them anymore, library copies are either hard to find or so badly damaged that it's almost impossible to listen to them. What about international music that is not available in North America because "they don't sing in english". Make a online mega store that has everything available for a price of course. Make it easily transferable to mp3 players, ogg players, whatever players, blank cds etc. People will flock to it like bees to honey.

In my humble opinion you will never stop piracy. Be it music, video, software, even hardware. Most pirates are doing it for the fun of it, for the challenge of cracking the latest copy protection. To show everyone that they are the best. They are not doing it for profit (afaik).

Maybe I am naive but I think most people are honest and will pay if given a chance to do so. I know I would.

[SassKwatch]

Originally Posted by Crocuta

The RIAA is manned by idiots that couldn't find their rear ends with both hands. If they had put half the energy into exploiting the sales potential of online distribution that they've put into trying to stop it, they'd be setting records (no pun intended) instead of seeing sales continue to fall.

Your message reminded me of a saying I saw recently that nutted me up (though everyone else probably heard it long ago)......

"Your proctologist called. He found your head."

Somehow I think that could be collectively applied to the RIAA.

[that_kid]

I agree with this too, I think the decline in cd sales has more to do with the decline in good music. I'm not going to buy a whole cd just for 1 good song.

[Russell]

Originally Posted by that_kid

I agree with this too, I think the decline in cd sales has more to do with the decline in good music. I'm not going to buy a whole cd just for 1 good song.

It is all spin. The music industry wants us to believe that file sharing is the key culprit. I am trying to locate it, but there is a company in California that does research on the music industry, and they found that CD sales were already on the decline before file-sharing came into play. I will see if I can find it.