Streaming DOES reduce filesharing, says Aspiro

A survey commissioned by Scandinavian firm Aspiro claims that users of streaming music services are less likely to fileshare music illegally.The survey of Norwegian consumers found that 54% said that since getting access to streaming music, they don't download tracks illegally any more.Aspiro runs the WiMP streaming music service, a paid subscription service which it's pitching as a rival to Spotify. Data on how streaming services affect filesharing behaviour has been thin on the ground.”We believe that streaming is a giant step in the right direction, both for people in general and for the music industry, and it is definitely a part of the solution for the future,” says Aspiro's music boss Per Einar Dybvik (pictured).Aspiro's survey – conducted by Norstat – also found that one in three Norwegians have now streamed music, with 60% saying they feel more up to date on music as a result, 68% saying they listen to more music, and 72% saying they often find music they didn't know about before by using a streaming service.There were some interesting gender differences too. 43% of men said they'd used streaming music services, but only 19% of women. There's also a gap between urban (46%) and rural [...]