Studies suggest that file-sharers also buy more music legally

As you may have worked out, this is not entirely unrelated to the above story. Recent research from the Norwegian School Of Management suggests directly that an individual who downloads music illegally is also ten times more likely to buy music legally.

The study apparently questioned 1900 internet users over 15 years old, examining those users' download habits, including how much music they downloaded illegally and, by checking their accounts with digital music providers, how much music they paid to download. They also recorded how many CDs each user had bought and this supported the foundation of their studies.

The implication of this well-timed study seems to be that Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks such as The Pirate Bay can actually enhance record sales by providing the consumer with something free which may then lead to a legitimate purchase. There is also the argument that by being able to experience new or unfamiliar music in a convenient way without financial risk, P2P users can discover artists or songs they wouldn't otherwise take a risk on without hearing first and then subsequently buy that music from a record or download store.

Have your say: Does this research actually tell us anything new at all? Doesn’t it go without saying that those engaged in downloading a lot of music illegally will be music enthusiasts and therefore consumers purchasing above the average level of records and also gig tickets? Do fans discover or preview new artists through these sites and then go on to purchase? Wouldn’t they just use Spotify for such purposes? Post your opinions on this.