Legal Music Downloads Increase in 2005

GraWil writes "The CBC is reporting there is marked increase in legal music downloads in 2005. American internet users downloaded 158 million individual songs from January to June 2005, compared with 55 million during the same period in 2004; during the same period, U.S. CD sales decreased by 7%. According to Peter Jamieson, head of the British Phonographic Industry, "the record industry has enthusiastically embraced the new legal download services ... and now we're beginning to reap the rewards". In the UK, sales of seven-inch vinyl singles were also up 87% on last year."

Comments

Trustworthy tracking

[jfonseca]

I wonder how they conclude these things anyway when they have no clue how many songs were downloaded in the black market to begin with....

I bet you the illegal music traffic tripled as well.

If I had the time I could probably prove that broadband connections increased in number, prices fell, newer technologies connected more people, etc...

This is a piece of not-so-well crafted corporate propaganda.

Of course

[mfloy]

This was inevitable. The popularity of illegal music sites was a clear example of how many consumers loved the idea of downloading digital music. Most people didn't do it to cheat artists, they did it because they had no choice. Now that the labels are catching on they will be rewarded with huge profits. Now if only the TV and movie industry would catch on. There is big money to be made off legal movies and shows, just wait.

It's called ease of use.

[VectorSC]

When it's easy to do it legally (aka the iPod), people will do it legally. Why?

Not because people have a great amount of respect for the law, but because we have a great amount of respect for the easy.

Analogizing the debate...

[Sheetrock]

When one thinks of the ongoing struggles of the free music proponents vs. the commercial music proponents one might picture an argument between King Arthur and Robin Hood (fictional example obviously, as King Arthur was not a real person, but it has to be fiction to be an analogy.)

The thing to realize is that both sides not only believe they are working towards the greater good but are objectively doing so even with radically different and diametrically opposed 'solutions' to the problem.

It really puts things in perspective to realize not only that each side is right but that there is more to be gained for each to sit down and figure out what to do with the deer in the forest rather than constantly fighting over territory and methodology.

Re:Hm..

[sthebig]

It's okay, I read it that way too. ... Now, back to masturbating.....

Re:what?

[Magus2501]

eBay, my friend. eBay. I can get numerous CDs that the RIAA is soiling themselves over for a bid that's less than the shipping cost. When the RIAA kicks down my door, I'll kindly smile and show them the album that I ripped my music from.

Some people don't want to be happy

[Nugget]

There are people in this community who will continue to lobby against legal downloads no matter what the terms or what technology is used. I swear, sometimes I think that if Linus himself started a company that sold no-DRM OGG Vorbis songs for a penny a piece and you got a free blowjob from Natalie Portman with every 10 purchased tracks that we'd still see posts on slashdot justifying P2P piracy because we didn't get to pick out Natalie's outfit when she showed up at our parent's basement to deliver.

There are people who read news like this who are encouraged that market is beginning to respond (as markets always do) and there are people who read this news and get grumpy because it just got a little bit more difficult to continue to rationalize their greedy piracy.

How did you react?

Re:RIAA's response..

[pahles]

Joke aside, but are they? These are legal downloads, so about 65 cent per 99-cent-song is going right into the pocket of the music industry. Apple alone has sold almost 500 million songs, that's 325 million dollars, for doing nothing!