NAPSTER BOON TO MUSIC July 21 2000 dotmusic.com Napster helps CD sales, according to a study. The new report, by respected researchers Jupiter Communications, suggests that users of file-swapping music services such as Napster are 45 percent more likely to increase their spending on music than non-users. After polling 2,200 Internet music lovers about their spending habits, Jupiter found that 18-24 year olds would buy around the same number of CDs regardless of whether or not they downloaded music from the Web. Groups outside that age bracket actually reported spending more as a result of online music use. "Because Napster users are music enthusiasts, it's logical to believe that they are more likely to purchase now and increase their music spending in the future", said Aram Sinnreich, the Jupiter analyst responsible for the report. He suggests that major labels should make their music available to technology companies in order to profit from the popularity of file-sharing:"The labels have to get on the ball and start licensing out their catalogues to service providers that are going to provide a legitimate alternative." But there are now so many varied studies floating around that it may never be possible to gauge the true effect of the Internet upon traditional music sales. As recently as May, VNU Marketing, a division of American chart contributor SoundScan, was saying that CD sales had dropped 7 percent near universities where Napster was popular. And since the topic of MP3 sharing is highly emotive, featuring many conflicting vested interests, it is conceivable that interviewees might not present the most accurate picture of their own music use. Even Sinnreich, publisher of the report, has his own angle on the situation: "The record companies are unable to see the point...They are so mired in their knee- jerk defense of their own intellectual property.'' comment on this article e-mail this to a friend start a discussion [about i-drive] writing index thoughts dotmusic index musicbank index Problems? Questions? Suggestions? Contact me: mail@tobyslater.com back to top back to home page

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