So if file sharing is killing the music business...

...why have the major record companies been paying marketing research firms to collect demographic data on shared files on peer-to-peer networks?

It turns out that while record companies have been suing such networks, they have also been collecting information on what people are actually listening to as a means to better market music to "the masses."

It seems that record companies have been quietly, even covertly, been using file sharing to actually see what people really want to hear as opposed to feeding them crap thorough radio stations riddled with payolla controversies.

Ironic, don't you think?