The purchase versus illegal download of music by consumers: the influence of consumer response towards the artist and music

Based on qualitative and quantitative surveys, I show that consumer responses toward a particular song and toward its performer(s) play distinct roles in explaining consumer choices to either buy or illegally download that song. The various types of consumer responses to songs and artists are first identified through qualitative research and then validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of survey data. While consumer responses to music explain the need to reexperience and acquire the song, consumer responses to performers explain purchase over illegal downloading.