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Study Says P2P Downloaders Buy More Music

Posted by Zonk on from the not-all-that-kooky dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Michael Geist posts to his site about a study commissioned by the Canadian government intended to look into the buying habits of music fans. What the study found is that 'there is a positive correlation between peer-to-peer downloading and CD purchasing.' The report is entitled The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing on the Purchase of Music: A Study For Industry Canada, and it was 'conducted collaboratively by two professors from the University of London, Industry Canada, and Decima Research, who surveyed over 2,000 Canadians on their music downloading and purchasing habits. The authors believe this is the first ever empirical study to employ representative microeconomic data.'"

4 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. Bias in the study? by Guido+del+Confuso · · Score: 5, Insightful
    According to the study:

    ...among Canadians actually engaged in it, P2P file-sharing increases CD purchasing. We estimate that the effect of one additional P2P download per month is to increase music purchasing by 0.44 CDs per year. However, it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. It seems just as probable, if not more so, that people who buy more CDs are more likely to engage in file sharing.

    I find it curious that they would phrase their results in such a manner. From the data gathered in the study, I believe it is impossible to determine causation. To me, this throws their entire credibility into question.
    1. Re:Bias in the study? by someone1234 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree that correlation does not equal causation.
      But at least this study shows that people who download, will still buy CDs.
      And people who don't buy CDs are less likely to use p2p too.
      So, simply people who like music will get it, be it CD or P2P.

      --
      Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
  2. Well of course! by Erpo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    there is a positive correlation between peer-to-peer downloading and CD purchasing.

    Well of course. This study makes it perfectly clear that P2P downloading leads to CD purchasing, so P2P is obviously helping the music industry.

    Wait a minute. Before P2P some people liked to buy a lot of CDs and some people didn't like to buy CDs at all. Those people who liked to buy a lot of CDs are now buying fewer CDs and downloading music illegally instead. Those people who didn't care much about music before are not downloading musically illegally because they don't want it very much. So P2P is obviously hurting the music industry.

    Oh wait. I can come to two different opinions based on the same evidence depending on what mood I'm in and the people I listen to. Maybe I should recognize that it's totally possible to make a convincing argument for a statement that isn't true. Maybe I should re-evaluate some of the things I'm dead certain about.

  3. Does this mean... by adsl · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does this correlation finding mean that the RIAA should pursue and find reasons to sue people who don't use P2P, because thse are the very people NOT buying CDs?