AfterDawn: News

Piracy boosts CD sales, says Canadian survey

University of London researchers Birgitte Andersen and Marion Frenz, have reported in a new survey of a large group of Canadians that the more unauthorized music people download on P2P networks, the more CDs they legally purchase.

The report states “We estimate that the effect of one additional P2P download per month is to increase music purchasing by 0.44 CDs per year.”

Using a simple example, if someone downloads 270 songs via P2P, that person will buy 9 more CDs than someone who only downloaded 27 songs. Those results should be more than surprising to the record industry and anti-piracy groups.



The researchers did not find a positive or a negative relationship between filesharing and CD sales so according to the report, filesharing is not the cause of the drop in CD sales. It may actually even be a boon to it.

Here is just another study telling us what the RIAA doesn't want people to know, that piracy isn't as bad you may think.

Source:
TF

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Nov 2007 17:26

• Previous article

• New Toshiba HD DVD player records to DVD+/R

• Next article

• Samsung regains top spot in flat panel TV sales

• 14 comments

• ZippyDSM

  Something called a consuemrs market they find what they want and then buy it, you kinda have to preview anythign now adays because you can't return it the stores have been whipped by the media mafia and without the right of return you buy it you broke it, thus you have to preview it.

  3.11.2007 17:35 #1

• ZippyDSM

  DOUBLE POST!

  3.11.2007 17:35 #2

• M1ckran

  What a surprise, I don't think.
  
  A similar survey carried out in 1970's Britain found that people who bought the most blank audio cassettes, also bought the most LP records.
  
  This was at a time when the recording industry was predicting doom and disaster due to people recording music onto cassette from the radio.
  
  Not much has changed, really, except that modern business appears to have cracked the obstacle of elected government.

  3.11.2007 18:33 #3

• venomX05

  AND next weeks fact..."Piracy is destroying society, cd, and movie sales"
  
  Really wish that these megacompanies would stop bull****ing around and make up their mind.

  3.11.2007 18:40 #4

• Pop_Smith

  Its never, ever no matter how many real studies are done on the subject which all end up showing that piracy does not harm music sales, at worst it makes the music more visible and at best it increases its sales the RIAA will always just blame piracy no matter if the real reason is an "episode" of bad music.
  
  Peace

  3.11.2007 18:49 #5

• BIGnewb

  canadians get the point.they dont ban downloading,they keep it legal.they support and prove that piracy isnt necessarily a bad thing.the only reasons we download is:
  a)too poor
  b)because we're too poor to waste money on a cd that might turn out to be shit like most of the stuff that's out today.
  
  think back when eminem put out marshall mathers LP,people downloaded his singles but they all bought his album because it was so amazing and they liked his songs.now look at dumbasses today like "soulja boy" and "50 cent" and nobody wants to buy that crap because the lyrics dont have anything in them other than "blah blah blah my gat brap brap nigg- this nigg- that".and also ashley simpson and britney spears *thumbs down* and STFU :D

  3.11.2007 19:17 #6

• furchtlos

  Hmmm i dont think that organizations such as the RIAA etc will take much notice of the study to be honest.

  3.11.2007 19:19 #7

• spydah

  They dont take notice to anything thats not a profit. They are greedy and foolish to believe that piracy hurts sales.

  4.11.2007 01:53 #8

• sssharp

  "50 cent" and nobody wants to buy that crap because the lyrics dont have anything in them other than "blah blah blah my gat brap brap nigg- this nigg- that".
  
  Those lyrics are sweeet, my laughter is helping me threw the day.

  4.11.2007 08:29 #9

• BIGnewb

  Originally posted by sssharp: "50 cent" and nobody wants to buy that crap because the lyrics dont have anything in them other than "blah blah blah my gat brap brap nigg- this nigg- that".
  
  Those lyrics are sweeet, my laughter is helping me threw the day.is that sarcasm,because if it is its pretty bad lol.

  4.11.2007 09:36 #10

• ali2007

  tell me one who has internet and has not illegally downloaded,
  everybody does it , nobody is innocent.
  about time things go cheap

  5.11.2007 08:31 #11

• maryjayne

  Now I got that song Quote:blah blah blah my gat brap brap nigg- this nigg- that stuck in my head. Thanks a lot!
  
  I guess this study shows that people still like to own physical products. Even though they take up more space, I would rather purchase a CD and rip the music to mp3's so I do not have to worry about purchasing an mp3 from an online source and have it wrapped with DRM.

  5.11.2007 11:15 #12

• Mez

  I suspect piracy actually helps the music industry and I am sure it has saved the movie industry. I have the luxury of being able to buy what I want everyone does not have the extra money. The greedy pigs we call the media mafia are blinded by their own greed. It never has occured to them that they price things too high. They assume if there are a million pirated copies out their that they lost a million sales. Chances are very few of them were lost sales. Instead I have heard of students pooling resources and purchase as a group then share. I am sure the movie industry is fueled by the rental industry which is fueled by pirates.
  
  Of course they want to classify fair use as piracy as well. I say why should I play an original? I rarely play an original. Why should I?

  12.11.2007 09:08 #13

• borhan9

  The only CD's a person that downloads songs will buy are blank CD's soo they can put them on the CD's other than that i dont see them buying more music CD's.

  17.11.2007 17:17 #14