NEW YORK (AP) - Sales of recorded music near college campuses declined over the past two years while rising elsewhere, according to a study the music industry believes shows the corrosive impact of people downloading music for free. Music sales during the first three months of 2000 were up 12% over the first quarter of 1998. Yet at stores located within five miles of a college campuses, which account for roughly half of all albums bought, sales went down 4% over the same period, according to a study released Wednesday. It was commissioned by Reciprocal, a digital rights management company. Dozens of colleges have banned the use of Napster, the leading service that allows people to download music files for free from the Internet, after heavy use clogged their computer systems. Reciprocal's study used figures from SoundScan, the company that measures music purchases, and is the most extensive attempt to try and document whether downloading affects sales. "I think it's clear that it has had an impact," said Michael Fine, SoundScan's chief executive. He said it's hard to quantify how much potential revenue music companies may have lost because of downloading. Representatives from Napster and Scour.net, another company that locates audio files on the Web, had no immediate comment on the study. Other factors may have cut into music sales near college campuses, including the growing popularity of devices that make CD copies, Fine said. The business has been dominated in the past two years by Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, who appeal to a younger audience.
