It's been interesting to see how streaming music services affect piracy around the world since their introductions over the past few years. We've posted countless times about artists complaining that they're not making any money off streaming services (though it's not so bad), and while that's a whole different bag, countries like Norway are reporting that the services have knocked down piracy to basically nothing.
Seriously, a survey shows that only 4-percent of those asked download music illegally now, as opposed to 80-percent in 2009. Unfortunately we don't know the sample size of the study, so take that information for what it's worth, though we do know that everyone asked is under the age of 30. According to Norway's representative for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Marte Thorsby:
“We are now offering services that are both better and more user-friendly than illegal platforms… In [the past] five years, we have virtually eliminated illegal file sharing in the music industry."
We have managed to reintroduce a healthy economy in music industry. We must simultaneously not forget that we are only in streaming’s infancy, and that we will probably see major changes in the coming years. Younger audiences are using streaming services to the greatest extent. When older audiences [start] embracing these services we will probably see a somewhat different distribution of revenues. Hopefully this will also involve a better economy for several Norwegian artists and record companies."
All of us who work with this every day want a healthy and fair economy in our industry. It is our main task in the exciting years ahead of us.”
Here's hoping that number continues to go down!
[via Music Business Worldwide]
