File Sharing 'Good For Music Biz'

A new study by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and research firm Gartner Inc. suggests that consumer-to-consumer music recommendations — a growing feature of online music stores and Web sites — will benefit the industry, artists and fans alike.

The report, titled ‘Consumer Taste Sharing Is Driving the Online Music Business and Democratizing Culture’, by Berkman student fellow Derek Slater and Gartner Research Director Mike McGuire, finds that consumer-to-consumer recommendation tools, like playlists, enable consumers to actively present their individual tastes to each other and are becoming increasingly common. According to survey results, nearly 20 percent of online music listeners reported listening to music via playlists at least five days a week.

The survey sampled the opinions of 475 computer users who have been among the first wave of frequent music downloaders. Nearly one-quarter of frequent online music users said that the ability to share music with others is a key factor when selecting an online music service. A third were interested in technology that helps them discover and recommend music, such as tools that allow Internet users to publish and rank lists of their favorite songs. Perhaps most important for the recording industry, a tenth of those surveyed said they frequently make music purchases based on others’ recommendations.

The report is available here.