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Sharing Increases Music Purchases?

Posted by michael on from the roger-wilco dept.

darnellmc writes "See this News.com article which cites a study that shows file swapping increases music purchases. I guess it all depends on who is paid to do the study and how they carry it out, but this report would counter the study performed by an RIAA backed group, which noted that file swapping lowered music purchases. You would have to be one cheap individual to want to download all the music in your life for free and this study proves that. Because most people are obviously using file sharing to find new music to purchase. A concept the RIAA can not comprehend. If future major music releases are copy protected, it will be interesting how the RIAA will respond if they sell less." Well, if they sell less, it will be due to pirates, of course. A few weeks ago we mentioned Wilco, who released their album on their website for free. The strategy appears to have paid off.

9 of 384 comments (clear)

  1. I remember.... by ejaw5 · · Score: 5, Funny

    years ago when I wanted Free music I had to sit next to the radio all day until they played the song I wanted and recoreded it using the Tape Deck, crossing my fingers hoping the DJ wouldn't come on early before the song ended.

    --

    $cat /dev/random > Sig
  2. Swapping? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't quite get the relation between music sales and my swapfile.

  3. Amen to that! by Anomolous+Cow+Herd · · Score: 5, Funny
    Because most people are obviously using file sharing to find new music to purchase.

    I'm glad that I'm not the only who's doing this. Just last month, I was looking around for industrial music and decided to download the entire "Downward Spiral" album off of LimeWire. I ended up liking it so much that I went off to Best Buy the next week and put the CD in my pocket while no one was looking before quietly walking out the back door and sprinting for my car. Man, what a rush.

    Anyway, more power to the music sharing people. I think it's about time someone ran an honest, non-biased study about this, and I'm glad to see these results. They just prove to me what I've known all along.

    --

    "I don't know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots." - George Bush
  4. thank goodness. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Makes me feel good to know that by stealing music online i am actually helping the music industry. This good to know because i was almost beginning to question if it is ethical to steal music...

  5. Re:Anecdotal Data Point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I just line the pockets of some record company exec's pocket.

    He must be pretty rich if even his pockets have pockets...

  6. Re:hmm... by edrugtrader · · Score: 3, Funny

    they also teach you to use your inside voice when you post on /.

    shhhh

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    MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
  7. Don't forget the physical size by dachshund · · Score: 2, Funny
    I can't help but look at the wall my music collection takes up, and think about all the money it represents.

    And the sheer mass of it. My girlfriend's CD collection lives in one of those tall IKEA CD-holders. It nearly killed me last year when the jewel-boxes fell out as I moved it to take a furniture delivery.

  8. Re:hmm... by iamdrscience · · Score: 3, Funny

    sorry, I typed that post on my laptop on my lawn via wireless ethernet so I forgot that some people would be reading my posts INSIDE.

  9. Re:it's true by mixonic · · Score: 1, Funny

    lol

    Your music collection must sound like crap. utter crap. Even if you just copy a cd, you lose audible sonic quality due to cd error and signal path error. Ignoreing the ethical factor all together, you are making a bad decision for your ears, unless of course our stereo is a set of jury rigged hard drives....

    -mix