In an era where computers have become boom boxes and CD players are becoming obsolete, the file-sharing revolution has caused unending controversy and debate between the recording industry and the computer savvy.
A professor at the UB School of Management, along with University of Connecticut School of Business colleagues, has entered the fray, concluding in his study that file sharing is not wholly destructive to the music industry, as it favors new artists by providing unprecedented exposure for lesser-known acts.
Lawrence Sanders, UB professor of management science and systems, along with UC associate professor Ram D. Gopal and Sudip Bhattacharjee, both of whom are Sanders' former doctoral students, recently released a study of the phenomenon.
"Our data shows that the dominance of a few music superstars is decreasing and their hold on music sales is slipping," stated Bhattachatjee in a press release. "This is definitely good news for up-and-coming artists and groups, who have a better chance at chart success because of these technologies."
By analyzing the popular Billboard Top 200 chart, which displays weekly album sales from 1991 to 2000, the study found a 10 percent increase in the appearance of new artists from 1999 to 2000. Sanders said this increase is directly linked to the emergence of peer-to-peer sharing.
"Music sharing technologies are eroding the superstar phenomena," said Sanders.
"[Our] theory contends that past reputation is more important than artistic merit in fueling the continued success of entertainment superstars," stated Gopal in press release.
Another study, done by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, found that 79 percent of those who download music do not pay for their digital downloads, and only 21 percent actually buy the music they download in CD format. The same study found that 53 percent of all American Internet users and 78 percent of those who have downloaded music files do not believe that downloading and sharing music files for free is stealing.
Marissa Wilson, a sophomore nursing major, feels music sharing software is an integral part of her music buying decisions.
"I know that it is most definitely illegal, but as long as people don't abuse the privilege then it should be okay. I know for a fact that I would not have listened to a lot of things if I didn't hear it online first, and that there are a lot of CD's I never would've thought of about buying without previewing them first," said Marissa Wilson, a sophomore nursing major.
According to the Pew Internet study, about 22 percent of all Internet users have downloaded music files. Among the general American population, 40 percent of those surveyed do not think that people who download music off the Internet have done anything wrong. Only 35 percent said those who download are stealing and 25 percent chose not to take a position.
"People treat copying a CD like running a stop sign," said Sanders. "And it's driving the industry crazy."
Sanders said that people view the pirating of CDs lightly because they often only want one song from an album and do not want to purchase an entire CD. He suggests that record companies lower the standard of distribution by putting fewer songs on each CD and therefore lowering the price.
"We would find less copying if record companies would do a common thing," said Sanders. The common thing, as the study suggests, would be to charge a fee to download, or charge per song. Also, the study suggests for the companies to use more flexible pricing by altering the price to fit the artist's popularity.
Lowing the cost to legally sample music, Sanders said, would actually generate more revenue because it would give listeners a taste of new artists, propelling them to buy the artist's CD.
Musicians such as Metallica, however, have expressed their opposition to file sharing, going so far as to launch a campaign to shut file-sharing services such as Napster down.
"Who cares what the record labels have to say? These artists are complaining because they are losing money but when all is said and done, they have already seen more cash in one day than many of us will see in a life time. It's just business," said John Gilmore, a freshman English major.
