New EMI digital boss calls for rethink on music sharing

Posted on 3 Apr 2008 at 17:07

File sharing may not be all bad news for the music industry, according to a former Google executive who joined EMI this week.

Glen Merrill left his post as Google's chief information officer for a role overseeing EMI's digital strategy, innovation, business development, supply chain and global technology activities. And he immediately broke ranks to question the major record companies' consensus that file sharing is to blame for slumping CD sales.

"There is academic research that shows file sharing is a good thing for artists and not necessarily bad," said Merrill in a Guardian interview.

A February 2007 report by two US academics, for example, found that file sharing has no significant impact on CD sales, and was not unique in its conclusions. Until now the music industry has rejected such findings, preferring instead to pursue file sharers, to the courts if necessary.

Merrill thinks this was shortsighted.

"It's a poor business model to sue your customers," he said.

Merrill believes consumers are prepared to pay for music, and said it is up to the industry to supply in it in a form that consumers want.

Author: Simon Aughton

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