Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

File Sharing Increases CD Sales

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the what's-good-for-the-aussies dept.

Andrew writes "ARIA have released figures that show for 2003, album sales have reached an all time high. In fact, according to Peter Martin, who recently went on Australian radio, before file sharing and CD burning they were selling 10 million less. Total unit sales were also at an all time high at 65.6 million. CD single sales declined 1.9 million over the year, but as Peter said file downloading is doing a better job. Should help Kazaa's legal problems."

4 of 291 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah right, more like... by ThomasXSteel · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "Obviously our enforcement efforts are working. If we sue more people sales will be even higher."

    -RIAA

  2. Better music by frs_rbl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    maybe the explanation is as simple as that: artists creating better music

    Consumers are not just mindless fools who dumbly follow economic up and downturns: they are downloading more AND buying more CDs

    --
    This is not my opinion. Actually, it's not even an opinion. And I'm nowhere to be seen near it
  3. Re:I hate to say it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But their main argument, that file swapping is obviously decreasing sales because sales have gone down, has no legs to stand on when sales are increasing.

    No, you're wrong. Since file sharing has been going on for years now, it's basically a constant factor.

    The fact that CD sales have increased doesn't say anything one way or the other about whether file sharing impacts CD sales. File sharing has been going on, basically the same, for the last year or two... it's much more clear that there have been changes in the economy over the last year. Occam's razor, anyone?

    Also, file "swapping" is not an accurate term, since the files are being copied. To swap usually implies that a physical object is transferred from point A to point B --- not that a duplicate is made and sent to point B, while the original remains at point A.

  4. Re:I hate to say it by Fred+IV · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The opposite is also true, For years I've been hearing that P2P wasn't responsible for declining sales, and crappy music was. Now that the trend has reversed, I'm expected to believe that P2P is responsible for the increase?