Abstract

A simple intuition justifies copyright: more revenue means more original works. In this article, I test that intuition by examining how the rise of file sharing, and the contemporaneous decline in record sales, affected music output. Using the appearance of new artists and new songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a measure of music output, I show that the decline in sales was associated, ceteris paribus, with (i) fewer new artists but (ii) more hit songs by each new artist. Because the second effect outweighed the first, the rise of file sharing and the contemporaneous decline in record sales was associated with a net increase in the production of new hit songs.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.