British Music Industry Sees Piracy Threat Beyond P2P

Written by enigmax on December 18, 2009 

A new survey carried out on behalf of the BPI in the UK indicates that despite best efforts, P2P use is not in decline. As the industry continues to drag its feet when it comes to competing against other suppliers of music online, many consumers are branching out and turning to several alternative methods for acquiring their sounds.

A new survey carried out by Harris Interactive for the BPI has found that of 3,442 respondents, 1,012 (29%) of them are acquiring their music from P2P or other Internet sources.

Carried out in November, the study found that while P2P use remains constant, usage of other other methods and techniques for acquiring music are on the increase.

Sources being exploited by the 16 to 54 year-old respondents include blogs and forums which publish links to music stored on so-called ‘cyberlockers’, a generic term for hosting sites such as Rapidshare. These showed an 18% increase in usage by respondents during the last 6 months.

Other non-P2P sources enjoying increased usage from respondents during the same period include MP3 search engines such as SkreemR (up 28%), and newsgroups which show a big leap of 42%.

While the BPI’s Chief Executive Geoff Taylor points out that there are as many as 35 legal digital music services in the UK for Internet users to acquire music from, the biggest gaining ‘alternative’ source with respondents is not a free mechanism such as BitTorrent.

During the last 6 months, overseas MP3 pay sites (such as those listed here) enjoyed an increase in usage of 47% with the respondents who admitted to getting their music from ‘alternative’ sources. This seems to be an indication that people are willing to pay for music, just not at the levels being demanded in their home market. While these sites are labeled as ‘unlicensed’ by the BPI, they maintain they are completely legal in their own countries.

Rather than focusing on the usual P2P/BitTorrent bogeyman, this report puts emphasis on other methods of acquiring music, in the hope that the UK government will indeed grant itself the power to introduce new laws quickly to deal with these ‘new threats’, as mentioned in the Digital Economy Bill.

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62 Responses

1 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:41 by Anonymous

Now the Conference Board of Canada has yet another report to plagiarize on.

2 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:46 by Matthew

Interesting…I’m not going to pay for music. I will however pay to see bands live in concert. Money well spent there

3 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:50 by kabuki0009

I guess we’ll just have to get our music the way the industry wants us to ROLF XD

4 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:50 by Dan

Like Matthew said, I will not buy music, knowing that the artist himself get about $1 off the CD.

Like I said a few times: If I download it illegaly, it means I will not buy it, so who cares!

5 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:51 by Guilherme B

Just one thing:

its written on every legislation:

power to legislate came from people that elect governants to represent them.

WE DO NOT THINK THAT P2P OR SHARING IS A THREAT.

we can change this guys ! let´s make them listen to us

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE should be our rule for now and them until they realize that laws should be made for what WE WANT not what some huge enterprise with greedy executives wants;

wich is: CRIMINALIZATION TO WAGE FEAR TO MAKE PEOPLE BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY.

ok of course we´ll buy, oh sorry WE DO BUY now but WE CAN´T BUY 250 GB OF MUSIC

we DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING.

IT´S QUITE THE OPPOSITE OF THE INTERNET.

SOMETIMES I DOWNLOAD
SOMETIMES I BUY

AND I´M NOT A CRIMINAL!

6 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:51 by Sketch@1337x.org

I buy alot of music, only AFTER I try it out first.

Try b4 you buy is now the norm. Perhaps the Big Music Labels should stop pumping out shit and start putting out quality bands with quality music, and updating their business model to the 21st century.

Suing your own customers is NOT a practical solution.

7 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:54 by Peter Morris

This is bullshit. There is itunes, I have yet to find music that I can’t buy legally online. people pretending they are pirating mp3s in the Uk because there are no legal alternatives are just liars.
grow up, and buy your music, don’t be a leech.
Musicians aren’t living rent free FFS.

8 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:56 by Dan

@ Guilherme B

YOU DA MAN HERE listen to him guys!!

9 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:59 by Anonymous

7 is a troll.

10 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:02 by A non mouse

Ahh! Pecker Morris another raisined mind clone!

11 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:05 by kitty cat

I get alot of my music after it is re-sung by other singers in mixtapes or compilations. Sometimes I have to rip the track itself, but they are usually works of art.

12 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:08 by Tigger

“…UK government will indeed grant itself the power to introduce new laws quickly to deal with these ‘new threats’” – Scary!

I actually bought Rage – Killing in the name yesterday off Amazon – heh, no prizes for guessing why =P But hey, @ 29p for one track, i dont care, but bollocks am i paying what high street shops charge for music!

@Peter Morris
“Musicians aren’t living rent free FFS” – REALLY!? Wow! what an eye opener! But as has been shown time and time again, buying a CD doesnt make the artist very much money…much better off donating to THEM rather than they’re record label, or even better, seeing them live…but then, if they make most of theyre £££’s through live performances, isnt any and all eposure a good thing that = more £££’s?
Saw my mates band on wednesday night, he made more money in a couple of hours down a club, than in months of flogging his CD’s….so =P

If i like someone, if i think they’re talented and deserve it, im happy to support them with my money…if not, ill download it, and probably delete it after i decide that they’re a bit crap =)

13 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:20 by JTK

Makes sense, what with ACS:Law and those other con artists monitoring all the torrents.

Since the sites are all hosted overseas, though, the only way they can do anything about it is to either censor the Internet or monitor traffic to these sites from the UK. Either way, there will be huge opposition since it’s as 1984 as you can get.

Don’t worry, though, because the Digital Economy Bill is just that… A bill. It still has a long way to go before anything is finalised.

14 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:40 by Raisin Brain

Peter Morris = Reasoned Mind

Tool of big corporate greed

and the only poster here getting paid

for his rantings

15 Dec 18, 2009 at 16:41 by anon2

and so the greed continues. this does show that people will pay for downloads, but the price, format and availability has to be right. these downloads need to be drm free as well or the whole concept goes straight out the window. also shown is the complete reluctance of the industries to do anything other than what they want, including trying to keep their own customers. instead they are pushing customers further and further away and making them more inclined to use p2p or other alternatives. talk about trying hard to shoot yourself in the foot, then complaining about how much it hurts! unbelievable!!

16 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:07 by nah in bmore

I agree with comment number 7 Peter Morris.

There are alot of alternatives to be able to download music, though itunes sucks (really it’s Apple), not everybody is using an Ipod, nor a iMac or whatever. Which is what their crappy bloated software/hardware is best used to run on. Also, the freedoms with itunes last time I used it sucked. Not to mention I dont want a 100mb update every week.

I used to use GoMusic.Ru which is one of those russian sites to get music at a reasonable price. Though, I discovered something. The variety of music wasnt as diverse as on Itunes (as alot of artist arent saavy enough to know about any other content providers). And, the music formats supplied werent really that great. Whereas in file-sharing I can get nearly any music in lossless and downrip to an alternative container etc…

The last thing I noticed is that alot of these artists are smart they make one or two good hit songs, and the rest are crap. So, you shell out a good amount of money to be gipped. You cant return the music. So why not grab it off the net sample it, find out I only like two songs, which most likely can be easily found anyway, and save me money for the artist that actually put out good music or at least music worth shelling out for.

17 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:30 by nah in bmore

Also, can you geniuses stop calling everyone trolls because they have an opposing viewpoint. That’s not trolling. Trolling would be something like …. “oMG, you guyS, steal MusiC!! you guys Are da ReaSon micheal jaCkson was brOke and died on drugs” StealinG muSic killzS ppl!!!!’ be AshaMed of UrSelf!

18 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:43 by Jimmy

Peter Morris aka Record Label Shill:

Then give me a legal alternative to p2p. Give me DRM-free lossless music I can play in any media player, and can burn to CD in a lossless format. Can iTunes do this? Ok then.

19 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:47 by Cygus

So if russia makes a cheaper sweater, and sells it to a Brit its just “importing.” but if a russian sells a cheaper song to a Brit its illegal? rabble rabble!

We’re importing data imho. And if its cheaper overseas, then (just like most transnational industries) we’ll go where it costs less.

20 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:55 by Duplicator

#17: but he IS trolling, whatever his pseudo-name is (not Reasoned Mind, but some ‘real looking name’ like Peter Dork or w/e). He always posts the exact same thing, didn’t even bother to read the full article (to see that people buy less expensive alternatives), and ALWAYS projects his thoughts on us. Here’s my message to him:

It’s ok kid, if you live in your mom’s basement and have no job to speak of but feel like being on a moral high horse, but please stop projecting your crap on the rest k?

File sharing wouldn’t be possible without people’s generosity, it’s not leechers, it’s the uploaders who are targeted. Of course, leech has somewhat of a negative meaning, so it’s not surprise you used it — after all you need all the sympathy you can get (because you KNOW that most people do not sympathize with you or your greed).

But get your facts straight and stop trolling. Then people will take you more seriously.

21 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:58 by chaos

@18 ftw

22 Dec 18, 2009 at 17:59 by ET

a music cd cost £10 = one million to produce and distribute. (technology 25 tears old)

a film dvd cost £3/10 = hundreds of million to produce and distribute. (technology 10 years old)

now, why are cd STILL cost more to sell to us than a dvd which in variably has more content. FFS apple charge £0.99 to download ONE SONG.

i think the music industry doesnt want to change – 20 years time myspace will be a proper record label…. and all social networks will have the same.

http://www.epictorrents.com

23 Dec 18, 2009 at 18:17 by rty

Could you actually imagine paying $1a song from somewhere such as iTunes?…

I can’t see a logical reason other than ignorance

24 Dec 18, 2009 at 18:42 by VK

You know what I love? The penalities for music piracy are often higher than those for child pornography. Where are the priorities here? These governments only care about money and profit, and there’s no profit in catching those involved in child abuse, but there’s lots in fining those who dare to download a song they like!

25 Dec 18, 2009 at 18:56 by Thanks

to CUNTS like you, the Internet WILL be banned, so be warned, Cunts.

26 Dec 18, 2009 at 18:57 by Bruce Dickens

Hi everyone. I just farted into a microphone, recorded it, and now whenever anyone else dares pass gas via the internet you must pay me.

I expect royalties for life + 70 years no exceptions. Start paying up!

27 Dec 18, 2009 at 19:18 by Willy

People need to NEVER pay anything for big-label music. Your money will go toward buying off politicians that are supposed to be ‘for the people’ yet instead are creating a tyranny in the name of copyright.

NOT ONE DIME should ever go toward this evil system. Download what you need and DON’T PAY FOR YOUR OWN CHAINS people.

28 Dec 18, 2009 at 19:33 by Man-o-man

#26, I copyrighted the mic fart in 1987, I’m suing you for infringement of my copyright.

29 Dec 18, 2009 at 19:42 by Ninja

Obviously those alternative paid sites offer sane prices and that’s why ppl flock to them.

I’m not paying $1 per song. However I’ll buy at least 300 tracks as soon as I can find them for $40-50. And much more as more spare money is available.

The ingredients for a successful business model are quite obvious. The big labels just need to use them =D

30 Dec 18, 2009 at 19:54 by Shinho

I pay a TV license which is about £130 a year now and this also covers the radio, if I can listen to the music on the radio, i refuse to pay for the music any other way unless I went to see it live! I mean i can watch tv episodes online, which if i want i can download from the BBC/ITV/Channel 4 etc, so why shouldn’t I get music for free!!!

31 Dec 18, 2009 at 20:02 by United Hackers Association

i dont pay a tv license how do you feel now
and i pay 0 per song
0 per tv ep
0 per movie
0 per game
0 per app

and ill continue to do so as long as i breathe so better make it a capital crime and bring back death penalties in many countries for copyright infringment

32 Dec 18, 2009 at 20:19 by DanielRemains

@ 31 – United Hackers Association

You da man I support great minds like you ;)

Will I pay $20 for a CD that the artist will get $1 or less our of it? no

For those RICH people out there that think they OWN THE WORLD, We’re not all Bill Gates here and POOR and RICH should both get the same things!!!

Fot those who would be interrested in running a site to support our RIGHTS, if you’re smart enough to find me, contact me

33 Dec 18, 2009 at 20:40 by Gaylord Manhandleyersons

#28Man-o-man, if old farts sounding-off are copyrighted, then how is it, may I ask, that so many of them are to be heard emanating from the houses of Government?

34 Dec 18, 2009 at 21:16 by Predator

“A new survey carried out on behalf of the BPI in the UK indicates that despite best efforts, P2P use is not in decline.”

Curious. Few weeks ago the entertainment parasites propaganda machine showed up wit the opposite story.

Nobody believe these liars anyway so they are wasting their time and money.

35 Dec 18, 2009 at 21:19 by Predator

@7 Petter Morris/ Reasoned Mind/Neostyle. . . .

“I have yet to find music that I can’t buy legally online.”

Because you don’t know what real music is.

36 Dec 18, 2009 at 21:28 by Predator

This is another propaganda pieces to push forward ACTA.

Piece of propaganda 1: “P2P is in decline” So you see the 3 strikes law and other recently crappy laws are working. We need to expend these to others countries.

Piece of propaganda 2: The laws recently passed are not working. We need ACTA globally.

Does this make sense to you?

To me it does not but for the old farts corrupted government officials, it does.

We have to get ride of all these old piece of shit and lock them into retirement facilities where they can discuss for themselves copyright issues between each others.

37 Dec 18, 2009 at 21:37 by in.cog.nito

@#2 i agree completely, music should be free. you pay for the experiences.

38 Dec 18, 2009 at 21:41 by Lord HAAAha

No one owns the truth it is in common by all peoples from all time and place regardless of government race or creed. The criminals hide behind laws and power taking you right to be human away for a buck. The music and writers existed before copyright existed, find the truth of history and tell me what you find I expect you personally to take responsibility for this and to report back. When did this start what is the excuse given for its existence? Report! Do you think you know? You are being used.

39 Dec 18, 2009 at 22:10 by diarRIAA

I will never support greedy corporationd.

Oops typo…i hate typing on my iPod Touch!

Hey now…wait a gosh darn Sly Steve Jobs moment here….!

40 Dec 18, 2009 at 22:22 by Brandon

@31 UHA ALL The Way!!!

41 Dec 18, 2009 at 22:54 by gorehound

the only thing i have to say is how much i wish that we saw folks out there stop buying all corporate music/films and just buying new indie stuff.
would love to see these corps lose their shirts.they are a bunch of thieves bigger than any consumer pirate.

42 Dec 18, 2009 at 23:29 by RMind

http://wcamclub.com/

43 Dec 18, 2009 at 23:46 by qwer

Musicians should set up their own sites, with a good micropayment option, not stupid paypal, but a open-source-system…

Then, I would buy… only from the musicians. They are good, they’ll get some money for it. No stupid Big-Label-Corporations in be

44 Dec 19, 2009 at 00:34 by Anonymous

Peter Morris likes the cocke

45 Dec 19, 2009 at 01:01 by hms-one

The industry sees these study results as further justifying the criminalization of fair use. If they were smart they would read the writing on the wall. You can’t stop technological advancement. Stop trying.

46 Dec 19, 2009 at 02:38 by Cockmongler

tor + Mediafire
tru luv 4evr

47 Dec 19, 2009 at 06:05 by Anonymous

Will arresting masses of file-sharers be enough to turn the general public against the industry and their degenerate art? I guess we’ll find out.

48 Dec 19, 2009 at 06:14 by Anonymous2009

We exist worldwide and in many cases beyond the boarders you fail to protect, you will never defeat us we share because we care and know the oppression of greed. Go Ahead keep wasting money and time lol.

49 Dec 19, 2009 at 12:34 by Power2All

I dont trust these surveys.
Mostly people answer incorrectly because they think it can be logged (see all those privacy issue pooha stuff) and won’t say what is really on their mind. Bollox if I had a say…

50 Dec 19, 2009 at 12:43 by TerribleTony

“the BPI’s Chief Executive Geoff Taylor points out that there are as many as 35 legal digital music services in the UK for Internet users to acquire music from”

Fuck off, name them bitch. :D

51 Dec 19, 2009 at 14:22 by Yatti420

The longer the movie music industry waits to adapt.. The more pirates they create.. Especially by suing them..

I’d laugh if I ever got a call from a surveyor for CRIA etc.. I would tell them I pirate everything lol

52 Dec 19, 2009 at 14:32 by nnsa

@7
http://torrentfreak.com/piracy-benefits-musicians-hurts-their-labels-091216/

53 Dec 19, 2009 at 18:52 by Any Guy

@7 Dec 18, 2009 at 15:54 by Peter Morris

Wow, how ignorant of you? You must buy all the recycled pop tripe that only see’s the daylight.

I shall give you a prime example of this, and in the UK too.

When UK Garage got big 10 years or so ago (maybe you do not know this “underground genre” (it was mainstream for a while – like i say it got big)) 98% of the songs were not availble to even buy on CD. Why? Because the people who made the music done it for the love of music. about 5% were released on compilation cd’s but looking at this (http://torrentfreak.com/record-labels-face-60-billion-damages-for-pirating-artists-091207/) previous article i wonder if any money is owed to them…. still?

And this is where its getting lost. Yes i respect GOOD artists. Even those who make their own record labels like a majority of the UK Garage artists did. I love indpendant labels. You know its not garbage, they cant afford to put out crap. I know people who make music at a LOSS and still have a smile on their face, just because people know their music; and most have reg jobs. At the time NAPSTER was the only way to get a hold of these tunes unless you were a DJ, and had a good record player. They release all their tunes on Vinyl, pressed proberbly 500-2000 a go. And do you know what? I pay, on average £7 ($11) a vinyl still. Yes for one song, maybe 4 songs if im lucky and its an EP. Why? I love the music? I have a collection of over 3000 records x that at an average of £7 a vinyl… im no theif. Yet I will still download songs, and yes not only UK garage. I wouldnt pay 99pence for a manufactured pop artist track for my little sister (who will come around one day i hope), its not even worth 10pence in my eyes. So you keep going on itunes, u keep listening to your mainstream manufactured crap, and at the same time go on amazon and find a brain. Its xmas so there maybe one on sale you ignorant fool. Maybe actually know something about what ure talking about before your fingers steam ahead and make u look like an idiot. BTW same thing goes for ALL Underground music, dnb, garage, dubstep, some house, and all the new breaking genres i salute u and the music creators, lets keep making good stuff and not charging, my next album is for free (as was my previous) and ull find it on hexagon.cc

Peace

54 Dec 19, 2009 at 21:38 by Anonymous

I don’t know of any music that I can’t listen for free on radio any body heard a song that got a listener in jail for it?

55 Dec 20, 2009 at 08:41 by Anonymous+1

Share the music and see the show. Pay no mind to the “industry”, for they’ve been screwing the artists for years. I should know, I’m a musician.

56 Dec 20, 2009 at 16:39 by ZPX

if I like the Artist’s songs enough then I will buy the Music but not at $12-16 a CD.
the Artist makes little on it and I feel ripped off after buying 4 CDs which have about 1-2 hrs of music I really want to listen to.

57 Dec 21, 2009 at 03:46 by jon7272

people should live in the real world if your job isnt making money go get a job that does .boo hoo music people some people make music cause they enjoy it .not for profit

58 Dec 21, 2009 at 17:12 by Choix

If there where legal pay sites with 100% FLAC rips at a decent price I would probably spend more money on music.

59 Dec 21, 2009 at 23:01 by Rob

Does anyone have a link for the original report? I would like to reference this document but can find no source for this data besides it being a “Harris Interactive” report. As pro-sharing as I am (and trust me, I pirate as much as anyone else), I find this lack of link a wee bit frustrating.

Any help?

60 Dec 22, 2009 at 00:19 by Lord HAAAha

Kiwi wondered if its the people or government that rule as in a democracy or republic? Its money baby!Actually Government and the people are the servants both. The wealthy pay the bill for what they want on the bill. The requirement for reelection is money to put your message (elect ME) across. This is the way of political science that is the rational truth, not just some pol-doublespeak mumble wave hands magic. Thats for the jokers that want reelected despite their sin. PS its why media control is so important to the doublespeak crowd. No use getting the rabble roused eh what? That upsets the order of things.

61 Dec 24, 2009 at 15:44 by Pook

“A new survey carried out on behalf of the BPI in the UK indicates that despite best efforts, P2P use is not in decline”

Lol…that was their best effort?

Oh well it seems they suck more than we imagined…

62 Dec 29, 2009 at 21:15 by Kickass_Sid

Rapidshare and mediaupload links are so unstable. How can anyone still use them?

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