[Nettime-bold] music file-sharing update

["John von Seggern" <johnvon@digitalcutuplounge.com>]

Digital Cutup Press Release

4 Jul 2002

 

FILE-SHARING and the MUSIC INDUSTRY

 

In the wake of the RIAA recently shutting down AudioGalaxy and (seemingly) taking out the entire independent Webcasting sector in the USA by imposing inflated fees and onerous record-keeping requirements via the CARP legislation...for a dose of reality about the generally positive effects of online music file-sharing, check out my brief paper Music File-sharing: Impacts on the Music Industry.

 

The paper is online at http://www.digitalcutuplounge.com/newsite/jvs_papers/file_sharing_report_2002.htm

 

All I've done here is to draw together and summarize available research, which strongly suggests that fans who trade music online tend to spend more money (not less) on recorded music products such as CDs.

 

Most of the independent research which has been done on this topic directly contradicts the industry's position, which blames file-sharing for an alleged 5% drop in recorded music sales last year. (Didn't they notice that many countries including the USA went into a recession last year? Duh!) I strongly encourage others to link to this report to help counter the RIAA propaganda campaign...the truth is out there...

 

John