After years of bluster and misguided policy from government and the music industry alike, a change in the attitude to file-sharing may be on the horizon thanks to a new survey that shows illegal downloaders actually spend more on music then their straight-as-a-die counterparts.
The Demos poll of 1,000 people between 16 and 50 found that illegal downloaders on average spend £77 a year on music, whereas the rest fork out just £44.
Discovery mechanism
Analyst Mark Mulligan of Forrester Research took the opportunity to highlight a truth policy makers seem unable or unwilling to grasp: "The people who file-share are the ones who are interested in music. They use file-sharing as a discovery mechanism."
Whether or not the Demos findings will have any impact on Peter Mandelson's plans to introduce a US style 'three strikes and you're out' approach to discouraging illegal downloading remains to be seen.
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carbona
November 3rd
3. Unheard music is unbought music.
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trevorbridger1
November 2nd
2. I buy between 3 - 5 CDs a month & I would estimate that two thirds of these are as a result of downloading first & listening to them on my MP3 Walkman. I have found out more about & bought music by bands like Helia, Enter Shikari, Rammstein, The Temper Trap, Passion Pit to name a few. Now someone please tell me how I am not making a contribution to the music industry
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dee
November 1st
1. Yeah I did that sometimes. If the artist was really good and I really liked that album I would go out and buy it either in store or iTunes. Although if it was terrible and sounded like trash I would just simply delete them and not keep it. Though I kinda just listen to them off youtube then decide..just to avoid the illegalness in the first place.
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