UK survey: P2P users buy more music

British study by Music Programming Ltd (MPL), suggests that P2P users buy more music.

MPL said that 87% of its respondents who downloaded music admitted they bought albums after hearing tracks through the internet.

Company's spokesperson said: "Downloading is actually a 'try before you buy' tool for a significant amount of people. It allows people to sample new music and decide whether or not to buy it - it is not necessarily a replacement for purchase."

British equivalent to the RIAA, called BPI (British Phonographic Industry), unsurprisingly disagrees with the study: "We did a survey in April that asked people the reasons why they downloaded, and 65% said because it was free."

Source: BBC

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 9 Jul 2003 16:30

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17 comments

domie

87 % buy the cds after downloading them ? yeah right ! people always tell the truth in surveys like that don't they ? Most people are not going to admit to recording mp3s to cds to a complete stranger in the street. Any fool knows that a significant number of us (at least the vast majority) transfer our MP3s to CDR and listen to them on the hi-fi. If that wasn't the case then why would people go to all the trouble of recording in VBR 256 with Lame etc ? or 192 kbps instead of 128 kbps ?
If it was just for listening to, then deleting and running out to buy the album then 128 or 96 kbps would be the most popular formats for quickness.

9.7.2003 18:00 #1

mystic

well most people would love to hear an album befor you buy it and find only one or two songs worth listening to we as consumers need to band together to buy quailty not rubish. lots of companys rip us off like microsoft sends out the latestof xp and theupdates and paches were on the website befor it was even released..almost everyone has atleast one burnt cd its called payback.and the movie companies need to remmber that movies like spiderman or like Matrix are being copied at a therater not off dvds then posted, maybe they should fine the theraters not the the pepole who find it on the net.And what about the movies that get us all excited like xXx Vin Desil then to find out the best of the show was just the trailer they had for a comerail on tv.How about we all get togher and save those ticket stubs and take them ( the movie industry) to court for bad media or negoseating a worthless insterment(the movies)and get our money back.....

10.7.2003 05:08 #2

Dela

Of course the BPI disagree, they aint got a clue because they arent the downloaders! They are just money hungry people!

"In your dreams!! It'll take a lot more than you boy!!!" ;-)

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10.7.2003 05:25 #3

Powa

Last I heard you can go into a cd store and put the cd in and listen to it on headphones. Not very convenient though. People download cos its free! The only reason I could think of for buying a cd after having the mp3 would be to get better quality. Not an issue anymore though :)

10.7.2003 07:43 #4

GrayArea

I feel like a good case can be made to support the idea that ANY exposure to new music will result in some sales that would not otherwise happen. How else do people choose what to buy? By the cool cover? Not likely considering how OVER PRICED CDs are. You download some songs you want and don't buy the CD. It happens. Your friend comes over and your music is playing. They say, "What's this song that's playing?� You tell them. Next time they are at the music store, they see it, they buy it. Not so far fetched.

Another observation. 128Kbs IS the most "popular" mp3 bitrate.

We mustn't lower ourselves to the level of those we loathe, lest we become loathsome ourselves.

10.7.2003 09:30 #5

dj_dij

The thing people forget with studies and statistics is that they're easily manipulated by asking a certain group of people. Presumably, the study by MPL didn't include the same people who took the BPI study, so the statistics for both surverys could be conceivably false.

Both organisations are probably too lazy (or don't actually have the resources) to ask every internet user, including those that don't download, and ask the same questions.

Only then would you get an accurate answer.

Heres a quote that sums up the brief discussion here:

"the delivery of music is approaching zero marginal cost, the cost of enabling each listen after the first, and for some this is a terrifying concept, as their income may have depended on upon charging a price much higher than marginal cost, say $18 for a disc that costs no more than a dollar to reproduce"

Jim Griffin CEO Cherry Lane Digital

10.7.2003 09:51 #6

dj_dij

what i'm saying there by quoting Jim Griffin is that the organisations that regulate the distribution of music are worried that they'll be out of a job once everybody switches online instead of buying stuff in the shops.

People that download music "illegaly" including myself [although I find loopholes with legal sites offering free downloads :-D ] are doing so for two reasons 1) they can't afford to buy the music because it is overpriced. 2) its available for free so why bother paying for it.

PS- in the BPI survey what were the other 35% doing it for ?

10.7.2003 09:56 #7

carlitob

I am going to a 50 cent concert next month in houston texas, I am going to take a burned copy of his CD and my burned copy of the new breed DVD and try to get him to autograph it. Hope he doesn't kick my ass

Don't ask a question that has been asked a million times already don't be lazy all the info you need is here: http://www.afterdawn.com/articles/

Pioneer A05
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Over 50 Movies so far to know what I got PM me.

10.7.2003 13:28 #8

dj_dij

just say "I didn't want to risk bringing my original copy with me" and he should be fine with it :-P

As long as artists, and the stupid manufactured crap that call themselves artists believe that they making money, they be happy.

10.7.2003 14:44 #9

maryjayne

Just wrap a dollar bill around the CD-r before having him sign it. That amount will cover the amount that he lost by you burning the disc x90! If they are only charging $0.50 for the concert, I am sure you can spare the cash.

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin

Time is never wasted when you are wasted all the time.

10.7.2003 19:16 #10

maryjayne

I think they worded the survey question so the peeps had to choose that answer.

What the stats really say is "87% of its respondents who downloaded music admitted they bought albums before they started using P2P networks"

I think the 65% of the population that likes FREE will agree.

P.S. I like FREE.

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin

Time is never wasted when you are wasted all the time.

10.7.2003 19:21 #11

wonderboy

maryjayne, 50 cent is an artist! haha. to tell you the truth everytime the RIAA comes down on some one it makes me want to download like 1000 songs and dont get me started with the MPAA. RIAA is doing its job and there job is all about money. I have never paid 18 dollars for a cd and for those who have you are dumb. I always buy my cds when they are on sale for like 11.99$. You may say I'm dumb for buying them but hey if you like an artist enough the least you could do is support them. cause when it comes down to it, the artist lose the most money not the Recording studios.

11.7.2003 03:28 #12

carlitob

Quote:If they are only charging $0.50 for the concert, I am sure you can spare the cash. Dude, that was a joke right? I hope so, cuz if not you have got to get out more.

11.7.2003 04:52 #13

Ghostdog

Quote:Last I heard you can go into a cd store and put the cd in and listen to it on headphones. Not very convenient though. Exactly, much easier listening to the album at home. And it�s free, just like in the store. Some stores have a limit to how long you can listen to an album.
Quote: I hope so, cuz if not you have got to get out more. Or maybe Mary prefers music over, well... :)

12.7.2003 10:26 #14

dj_dij

my local Asda (owned by Wal Mart) has the headphones thing in, where you just scan in the barcode of the CD, and the tracks become available to listen to for free.

2 things tho- a mate of mine stood listening to them for an hour or so and nobody kicked him off, and second; when they get broken they tend to not work.

^^ good and bad examples of free-to-listen music in stores (plus the headphones are crap)

12.7.2003 11:21 #15

maryjayne

I was trying to make a pun, but failed miserably...

I guess I will just stick to my usual complaining about the RIAA next time...

@&%*#&*@&^%# RIAA...

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
- Benjamin Franklin

Time is never wasted when you are wasted all the time.

12.7.2003 18:14 #16

Ghostdog

Quote:I was trying to make a pun, but failed miserably... I got it.

13.7.2003 01:47 #17

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