Andre Yoskowitz
14 May 2009 22:19
A new study by industry body PRS for Music has found that file sharing sites and P2P make popular musicians even more popular. More obviously, the study shows that the most pirated songs are almost always at the top of music charts such as Billboard at the same time.
The data notes that unsigned and newer bands were neither helped nor hindered by piracy. File-sharing networks have become somewhat of an "alternative broadcast network" which now rivals radio stations as a way of hearing music.
The study was performed by PRS chief economist Will Page and head of media tracking firm Big Champagne Eric Garland. The point of the report was to see if patterns of music usage among file-sharers can affect the "music is marketed and sold."
Also included in the report is the fact that legal action against file sharing sites such as The Pirate Bay has not stopped piracy in the least.
Finally, the authors concluded that "file-sharing sites are reinforcing divisions in the music world and only making the popular more popular." However, because the music is free, people did occasionally listen to bands they wouldn't normally try out. Not too many people are willing to pay for the right to listen to a band they may or may not like.
"If the sellers sell it, it might never be bought; but if the swappers offer it, at least one person will likely take it," says the study.