Where Creativity Thrives: BitTorrent Users Show Appreciation and Dedication to the Arts
BitTorrent has tasked themselves with the building of a sustainable ecosystem for artists and fans alike. Fostering a community where fans can connect directly with artists and vice versa, BitTorrent demonstrated their commitment to sustainable art with the launch of BitTorrent Bundles, a publishing project that allows fans to access content via a key that becomes available when users provide an email address or a direct payment to the artist. In September, BitTorrrent asked 2,500 users about the presence of and interaction with content, creativity, music and film in their daily lives. Despite the recent manifestation of streaming as the enemy and the thought that if music isn't available for free it won't be heard, 50% of users still purchase music monthly and 52% buy films. Streaming is holding its position as an inevitability, but according to the BitTorrent survey, their average user still wants more.
According to BitTorrent:
Users are connected by, and through, their investment in creators. They’re 8X more likely to own a paid music streaming account, compared to average Internet users (RIAA). They’re 170% more likely to have paid for a digital music download in the past six months (Ipsos MediaCT). 31% buy music every week; 28% buy movies. Nearly 11% have participated in a crowd funding campaign within the past year. For our users, being part of the community means paying for it, too.
BitTorrent users are self-proclaimed ecclectic and unconventional fans. They cross-pollenate genres and seek out the opportunity to discover and invest in new music. They go beyond being consumers of the creative culture because to them art, is an experience, something to participate in. According to the study, 47% of users see films in theaters each year, 26% go to live shows, and 15% buy merchandise. BitTorrent says "Bundle users view art as experience; tactile and social."
BitTorrent has created a community where art can be infinite and infinitely shared at the benefit of those who created it and those who consume it. The survey shows that a respectable amount of consumers interested in investing in the future and perpetuation of art still exists and proves that mutually beneficial initiatives like BitTorrent Bundles can help bridge the gap between artist and their fans.
The full study can be accessed on BitTorrent.com.
