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Intellectual Property Policy

The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing: Appendix 1

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Differences in acquiring music depending on gender, age and region

Appendix 1 explores whether gender, age and region matter with respect to how people acquire music; e.g. are women more likely to purchase music CDs than men and/or exhibit a lower propensity to download music from P2P sites.

Table A.1: Patterns of acquiring music across men and women

  Women Men
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 10,102,159 80.1 1.8 8,646,230 74.1 1.8
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 1,560,718 12.4 1.3 1,750,802 15 1.4
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 2,405,097 19.1 1.5 3,219,256 27.6 1.7
Download free music from P2P networks 2,955,254 23.4 1.4 4,097,997 35.1 1.8
Copy MP3s from friends 2,134,577 16.9 1.5 2,840,128 24.3 1.6
Rip songs from CDs 2,700,280 21.4 1.7 4,396,354 37.7 1.9
Download music from peoples free music websites 958,701 7.6 1.2 1,115,579 9.6 1.2
Total 12,615,189 100   11,666,415 100  

Table A.1 shows that women are more likely to purchase CD albums in shops with 80.1 percent of women buying CDs and 74.1 percent of men. However, women appear less likely than men to download music from the web, copy MP3s or rip songs from CDs.

Table A.2: Patterns of acquiring music across age groups

  Age group 15 to 19 Age group 20 to 24
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 10,102,159 80.1 2.1 8,646,230 74.1 2.7
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 1,560,718 12.4 2.0 1,750,802 15 2.4
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 2,405,097 19.1 2.5 3,219,256 27.6 3.2
Download free music from P2P networks 2,955,254 23.4 2.6 4,097,997 35.1 3.4
Copy MP3s from friends 2,134,577 16.9 2.5 2,840,128 24.3 3.3
Rip songs from CDs 2,700,280 21.4 2.5 4,396,354 37.7 3.4
Download music from peoples free music websites 958,701 7.6 1.3 1,115,579 9.6 2.0
Total 12,615,189 100   11,666,415 100  

Table A.2: Patterns of acquiring music across age groups (continued)

  Age group 25 to 34 Age group 35 to 44
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 3,504,201 79.1 2.8 3,837,173 77.8 3.0
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 841,236 19.0 2.7 775,595 15.7 2.4
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 1,365,926 30.8 3.2 1,313,243 26.6 2.9
Download free music from P2P networks 1,802,373 40.7 3.2 1,515,105 30.7 2.9
Copy MP3s from friends 1,287,533 29.1 3.1 882,187 17.9 2.7
Rip songs from CDs 1,692,141 38.2 3.4 1,434,486 29.1 3.1
Download music from peoples free music websites 366,956 8.3 1.9 507,163 10.3 2.2
Total 4,429,441 100   4,933,076 100  

Table A.2: Patterns of acquiring music across age groups (continued)

  Age group 45 to 54 Age group 55 to 64
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 3,671,413 83.2 2.9 2,474,054 72.7 3.9
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 517,425 11.7 2.4 248,226 7.3 2.3
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 666,448 15.1 2.5 333,203 9.8 2.5
Download free music from P2P networks 704,688 16.0 2.2 287,331 8.4 1.8
Copy MP3s from friends 655,609 14.9 2.5 284,788 8.4 2.2
Rip songs from CDs 1,007,073 22.8 3.1 395,815 11.6 2.7
Download music from peoples free music websites 496,858 11.3 2.5 149,574 4.4 1.7
Total 4,412,018 100   3,402,099 100  

Table A.2: Patterns of acquiring music across age groups (continued)

  Age group 65 plus
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 1,544,698 60.9 5.1
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 100,178 4.0 2.2
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 60,635 2.4 1.3
Download free music from P2P networks 45,791 1.8 1.2
Copy MP3s from friends 108,765 4.3 2.1
Rip songs from CDs 207,083 8.2 2.7
Download music from peoples free music websites 150,745 5.9 2.7
Total 2,535,992 100  

Table A.2 shows that around 80 percent of people purchased CD albums in the age groups 15 to 54. For the age group 55 to 64, 73 percent bought CD albums and in the age group 65 and above, 61 percent bought CD albums. Music downloading behaviours differ across age groups. For example, people in the youngest age group (15 to 19) exhibit the highest propensity to download free music via P2P networks (62 percent) and download music from promotional websites (46 percent). Between 8 and 11 percent of people in the age groups 15 to 54 acquire music through peoples' private website.

The next table, Table A.3, examines differences in acquiring music across the French and English speaking regions of Canada.

Table A.3: Patterns of acquiring music across regions

  Quebec Rest of Canada
Ways to acquire music Count of population Percent of population Standard error Count of population Percent of population Standard error
Buy music CDs 4,641,306 78.1 1.7 14,107,083 76.9 1.6
Buy music tracks from pay-sites 717,355 12.1 1.1 2,594,165 14.1 1.2
Download free music, e.g. promotion websites 795,176 13.4 1.1 4,829,177 26.3 1.5
Download free music from P2P networks 1,707,249 28.7 1.5 5,346,002 29.2 1.4
Copy MP3s from friends 1,278,323 21.5 1.5 3,696,383 20.2 1.4
Rip songs from CDs 1,281,709 21.6 1.5 5,814,925 31.7 1.6
Download music from peoples free music websites 374,816 6.3 0.8 1,699,464 9.3 1.1
Total 5,945,875 100   18,335,729 100  

Table A.3 shows that there are similar patterns in terms of buying CD albums in Quebec compared with the rest of Canada. Individuals residing in Quebec have a somewhat lower propensity to engage in free music downloads through promotional websites (13.4 percent) and are less likely to rip songs from CDs (21.6 percent). They are slightly less active in terms of purchasing music through pay-sites (12.1 percent).

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