The information load, and the wealth of different opinions regarding issues like filesharing, ismassive, and I therefore decided to start this project by conducting my own survey to see if I could reveal the size of the "problem". I put the questionnaire online, and at the time of me writing this, I have succeeded in getting 1496 responds. One of the criterias for a successful survey, was getting alot of responds, and I believe I have achieved that. But another criteria - getting a wide demograpich section of responders, seem to have failed. Of the 1496 responds, are only 99 from the female gender. But as I will show with the results of the survey, it does yet seem as if I have targeted the core users of filesharing. The responders are primarily referred from:
The far biggest group of responders are from http://www.newz.dk/
The Demography of the respondents:
Key Questions:
8. How many music files do you have on your computer?
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer - 1409 responders )
10. Do you share your digital music
files?
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer - 1409 responders )
12.What is the conventional CD´s biggest advantage over "MP3"´s?
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer , and share them - 746 responders )
13.What is "MP3"-files biggest advantage over conventional CD´s?
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer , and share them - 746 responders )
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer , and share them - 746 responders )
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer , and share them - 746 responders )
( All reponders who knows digital music files, and acknowledges to have digital music files on their computer , and share them, and would contribute - 524 responders )
With position reserved regarding the narrow demographic section of the
survey, it still does seem unquestionable that the use and popularity
of digital music is overwhelming.
But only half of the group that does download files, share these with
other internet users. These results are not surprising, and has been established
in other reports.
But what does come as a surprise, is that 21 percent (question 12) of these particular users, see no advantages in the audio CD compared to the digital file. The physical product does offer more features than the digital file - covers, booklets, printed lyrics, the good conscience towards the artist, the sound quality and the mobility - but none of these arguments can convince almost one fourth of the responders to head down to the music retailer and buy a CD, instead of just downloading it.
This is interesting, because this large group is offered no real alternative.
The users in this group loves music, but thay cannot retrieve it legally
in a format they like, but is available otherwise.
I dug further down in the data of this group, and found the following
common features:
There would be reason to consider whether some of these responders "vote"
out of what they think, rather out of what they actually do.
A classic "Say. Do Make." paradox where users says one thing
about their behaviour, but actually does otherwise. That would explain
why 37.6 % of the responders that say that they see no
advantages in the physical CD, have music files they would rather have
on a CD.
26.4 % of the epondents in this group (question 12) points
out covers and booklets as the biggest advantage with the CD, while only
9.4 % sees the fact that you can take it with you, as
the biggest advantage.
To the question about the digital music files bigest advantage over the CD, there are 2 answers that seperates out. 33.6 % points out the easy handling, and 38.9 % points out that they get to learn alot of new music. Only 0.6 % sees no advantages with the digital file over the CD.
The conclusion must, not surprising, be that digital music files are
very popular, and that there even is some aversion towards the CD among
a certain group of users.
The physical product, the CD, does offer more of a "product"
but it has a hard time competing with the easy handling and accesibility
of the digital music file.
The respondents do want to contribute with "something" to get
the digital files, but under 2 particular circumstances. 32.6%
points out that the money should go to the artist, and other 31
% has no other demands than they want the price to be "right".
The respondents are not at all interested in getting anything else with
their purchase - only 1 % points this out as a circumstance.
It is worth noting the group that points out that they want the money
to go to the artist. There is still a certain loyalty between fans and
artists, and the allegation that file sharers have no respect towards
artists anymore, cannot be substantiated in this survey.
It seems to be one of the biggest assets by file sharing, that users get to know alot of music. 78.3 % has discovered new music through file sharing, which later resulted in the users actually buying the CD.
93.5 % have discovered new music by coincidence, and 64.7 % of these users later bought a CD with the coincidentally discovered music.
Despite the shutdown of Napster, AudioGalaxy and other popular filesharing
services, filesharing is still very popular and widespread. Filesharing
has a high contributing factor to distribution of the knowledge of music
and artists, and distribution of the music itself.
There is a very high probability factor in file sharing resulting in actual
purchases of discovered music, and the browsing of other filesharers files,
often leads to the discovery of music that users did not know before.
There is a large unreclaimed market for selling digital music files on
the internet, since a large group of filesharers are willing to pay for
the music files.
A certain group of filesharers sees no advantages in the CD at all versus
the digital music file, and it should be considered whether music has
to have the format of a CD.
Lige en kommentar til din mistanke om dem der svarede at de ingen fordele så ved CD'er, men havde svaret de havde enkelte numre de gerne ville købe på CD: Jeg ser ingen fordele ved CD'er, men da jeg, som du selv siger, ikke har noget alternativ er der nogle få numre jeg godt kunne finde på at købe på CD, da jeg mener at kunstneren har fortjent min støtte.
Den fortolkning af spørgsmålet kunne forklare hvorfor 50% godt kunne finde på at købe CD'er selvom de ingen fordele ser i dem...
Jeg synes det er en god undersøgelse men som alle andre undersøgelser kan man vende og dreje dem så de passer ind efter hoved det virker det ikke som om det har gjort her og håber at dette bliver fremvist for de spader som mener at musik skal være kopieret fra gamle dage laves om og sælges som ny lyd på et gammelt nummer.
Genoptryk på dansk.
Godt arbejde og håber du bruger det til noget det er det vær.
Undersøgelsen viser jo klart at pladebranchens snak om et faldende salg og en udvidet piratkopiering er selvforskyldt og ikke mindst usandt. :)
Undersøgelsen resultat kommer ikke bag på mig og jeg er da sikker på at vi nok skal se mere til fildelingen og en branche som kun beklager sig i stedet for at udnytte nettets potentiale.
Henrik. :D
Flot undersøgelse og fremfor alt en meget flot struktureret og velformuleret konklusion.
Jeg ser det dog som et problem at du i din tekst ikke er objektiv nok ved visse problemstilling.
Som eksempel kan det nævnes at du ikke kommenterer at en digital lydfil rent faktisk er mulig at tage med sig, eftersom man har rettigheder til at kopiére denne til et medie - som f.eks. en CD.
Samtidig vil jeg mene at omslaget til nettet fremover ville kunne være en flot grafisk-produceret hjemmeside som blev præget i et filformat, enten med en adresse, eller som komplet information.
Men alt i alt - flot arbejde ;)
Nice undersøgelse. Godt opdelt men nogle af svarmulighederne overlapper hinanden hvilket igen kan forklare hvorfor nogle af svarene ikke passer helt sammen. Ved gennemlæsning af valgmulighederne i undersøgelsen slog det mig mange gange at jeg ville have meget svært ved kun at vælge et enkelt svar ud af mulighederne.
Flot undersøgelse, og resultatet er som jeg havde forventet.
at du gerne må gå på dit bibliotek, låne en plade - og, ifølge gældende dansk lov, brænde en kopi af denne?
Du må også gerne spille denne brændte kopi til fester - bare det er din egen fest!
( fredag d. 31. maj 2002 )
Se mere her
DIGIMUS Undersøgelse (da)
DIGIMUS Survey (eng)
