Intellectual Property Policy
The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing: Appendix 1
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).