Music piracy culture in the Internet

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to identify the motivations and opinions on copyright and online music piracy on the Internet through Peer-to-peer (P2P) Networks. The research was carried out as a Master's Thesis in the Digital Culture program at the University of Jyväskylä. Quantitative research methodology was utilized in the form of questionnaires, which were distributed for two weeks through the mailing list and personal invitations at the University of Jyväskylä. 48 responses from people of 22 nationalities were received. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed opinions that people conduct music file sharing on P2P networks because it is convenient, promotes musicians and is environmentally friendly. In addition, the research discovered the growing popularity of online streaming as an alternative to downloading. Based on the research, some recommendations that can be proposed to music producers and musicians in the near future include; more education on copyright issues, more promotion of online music streaming, promoting downloads of legal music files as an environmentally-friendly choice and making online music shopping more convenient for customers. The research was conducted on a small scale and therefore, further research on this topic is recommended.