An article at the Seattle Pi cites a report by reputable institutions (Berkman Center at Harvard and Gartner, Inc.) that file-sharing is actually good for the music business.


Nearly one-quarter of frequent online music users say that the ability to share music with others is a key factor when selecting an online music service. And 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.



Finally, we have empirical evidence to support what many advocates of free–or at least fair–online exchange of information (and art) have been sounding out for quite some time now.


A fair setup for sharing media online should be acceptable, as this helps the growth of mindshare among artists.


I say fair, as I particularly exclude large-scale piracy operations that make gazillions in profits from bootlegged albums.


Eat your hearts out, RIAA!  It’s a fact of life.  Your business model must evolve.  Otherwise, we’d still be buying vinyl up to this moment–which is quite an excellent medium (great fidelity), but very inconvenient.


More Tech News from the Tech Spottr.

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