The CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association), the Canadian version of our blessed RIAA, tripped themselves up a few weeks ago by releasing a study that countered many of the general beliefs associated with their battle against online file sharing. As originally pointed out by Dr. Michael Geist, the study provides proof that the people who download the most music are the same people that buy the most music. Link (via marketwatch)
In summary, CRIA’s own research now concludes that P2P downloading constitutes less than one-third of the music on downloaders’ computers, that P2P users frequently try music on P2P services before they buy, that the largest P2P downloader demographic is also the largest music buying demographic, and that reduced purchasing has little to do with the availability of music on P2P services. I’ve argued many of these same things, but now you don’t have to take my word for it; you can take it from the record labels themselves.
