Varför betala?
En uppsats om varför vissa betalar för musik och andra inte
The end of the 20th century brought a dramatic change to the music industry. The then predominant models for music consumption and sales were forever altered when the possibility to distribute music over the internet emerged. It has now become evident that it is virtually impossible to stop the distribution of digital music files. Music has turned into a non-excludable and non-rival product, which in economic terms is described as a public good. Public goods theory serves as a starting point for this study, which explores some of the factors that might explain why some consumers pay for music, while others choose to download music illegally. A quantitative empirical study is conducted to examine determinants for why consumers choose to acquire music in a specific way. The behaviours examined in this study are purchases of CDs, purchases of downloads and illegal downloading. The basic theoretical framework, the Theory of Planned Behavior, is completed with three more prediction variables, namely public goods theory, ethical considerations and artist loyalty. The major findings from this study show that ethical considerations have no significant impact on the consumer?s decision to purchase or download music illegally. Artist loyalty has a positive effect on purchasing behaviour, and consumers who think that illegal downloading will lead to a decline in music production are also more inclined to pay for music. This implies that owners of immaterial rights should focus more on building strong bonds between artist and fans, instead of trying to deter the pirates with moral lectures.