p2p download data sway Big Music
p2pnet news | music:- "Earlier this year, Clear Channel Communications Inc.’s Premiere Radio Networks unit began marketing data on the most popular downloads from illegal file-sharing networks to help radio stations shape their playlists," says the Wall Street Journal.
"The theory is that the songs attracting the most downloads online will also win the most listeners on the radio, helping stations sell more advertising. In turn, the service may even help the record labels, because radio airplay is still the biggest factor influencing record sales."
And Premiere’s Mediabase market-research unit is working with p2p research company BigChampagne, says the story, going on:
"BigChampagne collects the data while a Premiere sales force of about 10 people pitches the information to radio companies and stations."
Using data on "stolen music" to "help mold playlists" may seem somewhat ironic, says the L.A. Times, continuing:
File sharing has likely contributed to the continuing decline in the music business. U.S. music sales were down 7% last year after a 3% drop the year before, according to the London-based music trade group IFPI. But BigChampagne’s clients say ignoring file sharing wouldn’t make sense. "It’s a fact of life at this time," says Rich Meyer, Mediabase’s president and executive vice president at Premiere.
The story also quotes Joe Fleischer, BigChampagne’s vice president for sales and marketing, as saying the act of downloading music is separate from insights into peoples’ tastes the downloads offer.
"He also notes that the company incorporates legal, paid downloads from sites like iTunes into its data, though they represent a tiny fraction of all download," says the story.
p2pnet asked BigChampagne ceo Eric Garland for his perspective and, "People stream music, download music, collect music, copy music, share music," he told us, going on:
Most importantly, they listen to more music than ever before.
While the legality of all this consumer behavior is an interesting focus area (and commands a lot of attention from the media), it is a very narrow focus.
We are much more interested in the tectonic shifts in the consumption of popular media, and what we can observe and predict based on the many ways in which people interact with entertainment media online.
In short, it seems to us a bit disproportionate, this focus on the authorized/unauthorized.
Millions of people are now immersed in popular music, for better or for worse, right or wrong – we want to learn everything there is to know about it and make the market savvier, more responsive and fleet of foot.
Universal Music Group, "also looks at file-sharing data, largely for help figuring out which songs are working best or what to pitch to radio," says the LA Times.
"But executives have mixed feelings about the information," it says, quoting Larry Kenswil, executive vice president for business strategy as saying:
"It’s troubling that there is so much activity [that] it’s useful" for research.
Also See:
Wall Street Journal – Pirated Music Helps Radio Develop Playlists, July 12, 2007
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July 13th, 2007 at 9:36 am
They are happy to quote loss figures (do realize this is estimated and take it with a huge grain of salt) but when it comes shareholder report time, you always somehow get a different picture.
Of course in these given figures, no one is saying that less are being made, that the outlets that sell them are less than ever before due to marketing choices the labels themselves made. Adding DRM and calling it enhanced customer experience fools no one. Make it a bitch to use, less will use it.
Sue’em all is having it’s affect as well. More and more negitive news from that front turns people away from music entirely, doing just the opposite they wish to accomplish. I may spend more money for a game but get far better entertainment value as a result. Sue’em all is making a whole new generation aware of music with negitive connotations. There will be less sales in the future as there will be less interest in buying problem products.
Cheat the customer at your own risk.
July 14th, 2007 at 6:10 am
I think the music industry is FINALLY learning the saying: “if you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em!”
Because years a go they would have NEVER even considered p2p as a way to find out what is popular….but tome, they are hypocrytical about it. As these networks they get the info from, are the same ones they wanted to shut down so badly!