WASHINGTON – A just-released study by the
Download report here:
The report assesses findings from three separate surveys: a telephone survey with self-identified artists, an online survey completed by over 2700 musicians and songwriters, and telephone surveys with the general public. The questions in the musicians’ survey cover a broad range of topics related to the internet: from basic usage, to sales, promotion, communication, fair use, copyright, sampling, and file-sharing.
Future of Music Coalition was instrumental in bringing together a broad coalition of musician-focused organizations that then encouraged their memberships to participate in this benchmark online survey, which was conducted in March-April 2004.
Key findings from the musicians’ survey:
Musicians use the internet to promote and sell their work
87% of the musician respondents say they promote, advertise or display their music online, and 83% provide free samples or previews of their music on the internet.
69% of the respondents say they sell their music online. 63% say that they sell their music online someplace other than their own Web site; 56% sell CDs through online stores like Amazon.com or CDBaby, 28% sell downloadable files through digital stores like iTunes, and 18% sell their music someplace else online.
For independent musicians, in particular, this newfound ability to bypass traditional distribution outlets and geographic boundaries has been a watershed. One musician explained that having the ability to sell music online was the most significant impact of the internet: “A huge positive benefit is being able to have my music available for sale to anyone in the world who wants it. Ten years ago there was absolutely no way to sell your CD except through major distribution deals or at your own shows.”
Musicians are divided over file-sharing
Echoing the sharply conflicting opinions within the ongoing public debate about file-sharing, musicians are equally divided over file-sharing services’ impact on artists. There is no clear consensus regarding the effects of online file-sharing on artists.
35% of the online musician sample agree with the statement that file-sharing services are not bad for artists because they help promote and distribute an artist’s work
23% agree with the statement that file-sharing services are bad for artists because they allow people to copy an artist’s work without permission or payment
35% of those surveyed agree with both statements.
Musicians have a wide range of ideas about how to best address the unauthorized distribution of music online.
In an open-ended question, musicians taking the survey were asked what they thought would be the best approach to dealing with the unauthorized music distribution of music online. As expected, the responses ranged from “file-sharers should be prosecuted” to “music should be free”. However, there were a number of surprising variations provided by musicians that signal the difficulty in finding a simple solution to file-sharing.
For example, a surprising number of respondents said that peer-to-peer file-sharing is not the problem, but that it is a symptom of bigger structural issues for the major labels. Many respondents suggested that the music industry needed to recognize the changes that peer-to-peer and digital entertainment in general have brought to the music industry, and change its business model to embrace it, instead of fighting it.
Another batch of respondents used this question to talk about the need for artists to control their own music. While negotiating control over content is difficult in a digital environment, many artists suggested that decisions over peer-to-peer file-sharing and digital distribution should be made by the artist, not the label.
“This report highlights what the FMC has been saying for the past five years,” stated Jenny Toomey, the executive director of the Future of Music Coalition. “There is not now, nor ever has their been one simple unified musicians’ position on these complicated issues. To truly understand their concerns, artists must be included as equals in future debates.”
“We are at a critical point in history, where policy decisions can determine the future path of innovation,” said FMC’s Policy Director, Michael Bracy. “This report clarifies that artists and musicians are eagerly adapting new technologies as a way to interact directly with fans. We also know that music fans are embracing licensed digital download technologies. As long as policymakers refrain from stifling innovation to preserve the interests of some entrenched parties that control the major channels of promotion and distribution, we are confident that this era will be viewed as the turning point in the effort to create a legitimate, fully licensed and wildly popular on-line music marketplace.”
Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit education, research and advocacy organization that seeks a bright future for creators and listeners. FMC works towards this goal through continuous interaction with its primary constituency — musicians — and in collaboration with other creator/public interest groups. More