MTV Uses P2P Data for Playlist Selection

Written by Ernesto on March 14, 2008 

TMF, a popular Dutch music channel which is part of MTV said it will use data from BitTorrent and other file-sharing networks as a resource for their playlist selection. The data from these sources gives a more accurate picture of what people actually listen to, rather than counting single sales alone.

tmf music factoryTMF recently subscribed to a service from the P2P tracking company GfK. Based on a list of music titles, GfK will gather data from BitTorrent and other filesharing networks and report this back to the music channel.

TMF said it will use the information to signal trends and target their audience.

Initially, TMF announced that it would count downloads from file-sharing networks for their new Superchart, as more people download music than buy it. However, they canceled this plan last week after protests from the music industry, who said it would send out the wrong message.

TMF, however, now say that they will use data from filesharing services as one of the sources for their playlist selection.

Wouter Rutten, the spokesman for the Dutch IFPI said he doesn’t see the use of P2P data as problematic as long as they don’t explicitly use it for their music charts or advertise it in any other way.

The negative reaction from the music industry on the pirate chart was to be expected, but also a little hypocrital. Last year we reported that Interscope Records, and probably other record companies, use P2P data as a marketing tool. They determine which tracks they will release as their next single, based on what people are downloading.

Previously: The Shareaza Conspiracy In a Nutshell

Next: The Pirate’s Dilemma: To Compete or Not To Compete

36 Responses

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1 Mar 14, 2008 at 16:10 by Ada

good to hear the music station in my country is being inovative

2 Mar 14, 2008 at 16:26 by haha

Shame that is bullsh*t

TMF is all about driving hits, same as all other music channels.

3 Mar 14, 2008 at 16:39 by your mom?

I’ve never heard of TMF????

http://pccurb.com

4 Mar 14, 2008 at 17:15 by Anonymous

Thanks MTV for supporting spammers financially. I can smell crooks from 1 million parsec away. These parasites are trying destroy P2P and drink its blood at the same time. They should drink my piss instead.

5 Mar 14, 2008 at 17:25 by hash

tasty

6 Mar 14, 2008 at 17:27 by Anonymous

definitely makes sense, torrent info is unbiased, the record industry is

7 Mar 14, 2008 at 17:50 by Toost Inc.

we have a rip-off version of the IFPI??

They must be really stacked away in a filthy basement somewhere in the back of the building because this is the first time I hear from them. I guess that you can see that as a statement on where we stand on file-sharing…

But yeah, if they actually use this TMF might actually get some more quality from this rather then hitch-hiking on every dance/jumpstyle hype that is passing our little country…

8 Mar 14, 2008 at 18:42 by Norm

This is nice news I suppose, but in the end, TMF is still top-down traditional media. As p2p technology spreads and improves, TMF will become obsolete.

9 Mar 14, 2008 at 18:52 by a/s/l

interesting idea, wonder if they’ll use it on TMF UK?

10 Mar 14, 2008 at 22:12 by a

some people are being smart.

11 Mar 14, 2008 at 22:20 by 3z3

Ha, if that’s true, then you could really fuck the industry by having everybody download complete shite.

Then again, they already produce complete shite.

12 Mar 15, 2008 at 01:57 by Jerovow

http://tinyurl.com/38cypu

13 Mar 15, 2008 at 06:04 by prodigydancer

“Interscope Records, and probably other record companies, use P2P data as a marketing tool. They determine which tracks they will release as their next single, based on what people are downloading.”

Ahh, a perfect example of double standard in business. They say: “We hate you and we’ll fight against you. But when it’s to our profit we’ll also use you.” These people combine the honor of snakes with the dignity of rats.

14 Mar 15, 2008 at 06:59 by steveballmer

MTV should no encourage this type behavior!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

15 Mar 15, 2008 at 11:26 by wch

TMF already announced that they will not proceed with the idea, after protest from the music industry.
Source (dutch): http://www.nu.nl/news.jsp?n=1470687&c=50

16 Mar 15, 2008 at 13:17 by kloot

@wch

Please learn how to read. We’re talking about 2 different things here.

17 Mar 15, 2008 at 15:52 by very

finally a more accurate listing method has been discovered. good job MTV.

18 Mar 16, 2008 at 06:26 by mierda media

Has anyone looked at top shared music files? This is no better then Billboard lists.
Total crap.

19 Mar 16, 2008 at 09:16 by fgt

The Music Fagotry

20 Mar 16, 2008 at 10:35 by peter griffin

WHAT A SHIT IDEA, JUST BECAUSE I SHARE DOESN’T MEAN I DON’T BUY. SALES ARE MUCH MORE ACCURATE THEN P2P STATS CAUSE THEY ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE TV AUDIENCE.

DUMBNUTS. MTV IS FOR TEENAGE GIRLS, DON’T GIVE THEM MY ROCK AND METAL.

21 Mar 16, 2008 at 23:22 by Anonymous

Lol it’s pretty cool of MTV to admit using bittorrent.

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