Filesharers are the music industry’s best customers

The best customers the music industry has a peer-to-peer (P2P) music pirates, according to a recent survey. Commissioned by Demos in the UK, the MORI survey states that if someone pirates their music, it is a good sign for music companies, as these parties would generally buy music legitimately later on. The survey dissuades RIAA logic, which is that all filesharers or ‘pirates’ should be jailed. The survey goes on to say that if the RIAA managed to do so, the music industry might find themselves minus any customers at all. According to the survey, file-sharers spend close to 75% more on music than those who do not. The ‘good guys’ apparently are not customers at all, and it turns out that they do not really listen to music as much.

Mark Mulligan of Forrester Research speaking to the Independent said that those sharing files were those who showed more interest in music. He said, “They use file-sharing as a discovery mechanism. We have a generation of young people who do not have any concept of music as a paid-for commodity. You need to have it at a price point you would not notice.” Ten per cent of the respondents in the survey, aged from 16 to 50 years admitted to illegal downloading of music. Therefore, as per the findings of the MORI survey, it seems the music industry would work better if file-sharers were encouraged instead of P2P file-sharing outfits being shut down or dragged into court.