Peer-to-Peer - Positive Artist Opinions

Just as there are masses of artists opposed to the use of filesharing to consume music, there are also musicians who view this emerging technology as a positive addition the music industry. These artist’s opinions are backed up by frequent academic studies. A study by researchers at Harvard University tracked music downloads over 17 weeks in 2002 and compared that data to actual market performance of the same songs and albums (Oberholzer, Strumpf, 2004). It found that file sharing little or no effect on CD sales. The same study noted that although a large amount of downloading was taking place, most users would not have bought an album even in the absence of filesharing. Some of the most frequent reasons provided by these pro-filesharing musicians are as follows.

• P2P and filesharing can be seen as the expansion of the music industry, bringing music to more people worldwide.

• The technological aspect of filesharing is propelling society into the future and merely altering the manner in which we consume music (similar to the transition from cassette to compact disc).

• Filesharing has the ability to promote unknown artists and their music.

• Fans continue to listen to and enjoy music.

• The means used by the RIAA (Recording Industry America Association) to catch and prosecute file sharers are unsatisfactory.

Many musicians have publicly pledged their support for filesharing, and the following quotes represent the most common points made by artists who encourage P2P technology or disagree with the music industry’s action against file sharers.

Chuck D (leader of Public Enemy) - testifying at the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, investigation into filesharing.

"Technology giveth and it taketh away, and the industry knows this. The horseshoe makers probably got upset at the train manufacturers because (the new industry) took away their transport dominance, just as the train manufacturers probably got mad at the airline industry. I think this expands artistry and it's about adjustment. The record industry is hypocritical and the domination has to be shared. P2P to me means 'power to the people. Let's get this to a balance, and that's what we're talking about." [1]

Michael Jackson, July 21 2003

"I am speechless about the idea of putting music fans in jail for downloading music. It is wrong to illegally download, but the answer cannot be jail. Here in America we create new opportunities out of adversity, not punitive laws and we should look to new technologies, like Apple's new Music Store for solutions. This way innovation continues to be the hallmark of America. It is the fans that drive the success of the music business; I wish this would not be forgotten." [2]

Shaggy, February 2 2001

"You know, my whole vibe on Napster is, I understand how it will help life for unsigned bands. It is definitely a window to showcase a lot of bands [that] probably wouldn’t be getting to hear from a lot of these majors. And if they can’t regulate it to where the artist gets paid, well, then it’s not that great of an idea because even the unsigned artists, at some point, they’re going to want to get paid for their things also." [3]

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References

[1] Dean, K. (2003) Rappers in Disharmony on P2P, Wired News, retrieved October 8, 2004 from URL: http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,60650,00.html

[2] Naraine, R. (2003) Michael Jackson Slams ACCOPS Act, atnewyork.com, retrieved October 8 2004 from URL: http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/2238141

Oberholzer, F. Strumpf, K. (2004) The Effect of File-sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis, Harvard University, retrieved October 15, 2004 from URL: http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_March2004.pdf

[3] Shaggy (2001) Recording Industry Association of America: Quotes from the Artists, retrieved October 8, 2004 from URL: http://www.riaa.com/about/artists/quotes.asp

Annette Devonshire 15:43, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)