D. Taping as a Function of Education Complete Album Taping. Table 16 shows that students are 22% of the population. At the same time, they comprise 38% of all album tapers and they account for 30% of taped album units. While this latter percentage is high relative to their representation in the total population, it is low relative to their representation among album tapers. A consideration of nonstudents shows a strong relationship between album taping and education. More specifically, Table 16 shows that the more education people have, the more likely they are to be complete album tapers and the more complete albums they will tape.

Selection Taping. Similar to album taping, Table 16 shows that students are more likely to be selection tapers than would be expected on the basis of their representation in the total population. Again, however, note that while students comprise a disproportionately high 42% of selection tapers, they account for only 34% of taped selection units.

Table 16 shows that, similar to album taping, people with high education are more likely to be selection tapers than people with low education. However, in contrast to the findings concerning album taping, the better educated a selection taper is, the smaller the amount of selection taping he or she does. That is, while only 9% of selection tapers have less than a high school education, these tapers account for 14% of all taped selections. In contrast, although 29% of selection tapers have had at least some college education, these tapers account for only 28% of all taped selection units.

To summarize briefly, the more education a person has, the more likely he or she is to be a taper. However, once that person is a taper, and the higher that person's education, the more albums and the fewer selections he or she will copy.

E. Family Taping as a Function of Income Complete Album Taping. It can be seen in Table 17 that although income is strongly related to album taping, the relationship is rather complex. It is clear that people from low income families (i.e., families with incomes below $10,000) comprise a disproportionately small 18% of complete album tapers and account for only 11% of all copied albums. In marked contrast, the 29% of the population in the middle income group comprise 42% of the album tapers and account for more than half (51%) of the complete albums that are taped. People from upper income families (i.e., families earning more than $20,000 per year) also engage in a substantial amount of complete album taping. Although only 32% of the population, those in the high income group comprise 40% of album tapers and account for 38% of taped album units.

Selection Taping. Similar to our previous findings with respect to education, Table 17 shows that there is a positive relationship between family income and the likelihood that one will be a selection taper. That is, the higher one's family income, the more likely he or she is to be a selection taper. In marked contrast to our findings with respect to complete album tapers, selection tapers in the middle income group account for a disproportionately small 23% of taped selection units. Note, too, that people from upper income families comprise 43% of all selection tapers and account for almost half (49%) of all copied selections.

To summarize, home taping is least likely to occur in low income families. Moreover, while those from middle income families tape 51% of the complete albums that are copied, those from upper income families account for an additional 38% of taped album units and almost half of all selection taping. Thus, despite arguments to the contrary, the economically disadvantaged do not engage in large amounts of home taping in order to bring music into their homes. If anything, a disproportionately large amount of home taping is done by those in the highest income group.

Findings Part V

Other Characteristics of Album and/or Selection Tapers

In addition to describing their buying of blank audio tape and their taping behavior, all respondents also answered questions about their buying of records and prerecorded tapes as well as questions about their interest in and concern with music.

In this section we will see that album and/or selection tapers are not only more likely to be buyers of records and prerecorded tapes than are nontapers, but they also spend more money on prerecorded product than do the nontapers. More importantly this relationship between taping and buying is largely a reflection of a more general commitment to music. Viewed from this perspective, home taping of albums and selections provides an alternate way of adding to one's recorded music collection. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that if home taping were not possible, these album and/or selection tapers would be spending more on prerecorded product.

For ease of presentation, in the remainder of this section the term Taper will refer to those respondents who taped complete albums and/or individual selections. Those who have not engaged in this type of taping (even though they may have done other types of taping) will be referred to as Nontapers.

A. Tapers and Buyers

In addition to being asked about their taping behavior, all respondents were asked whether they were current buyers: that is, whether they had purchased a record or prerecorded tape, either for their own use or to give to someone else, in the survey year. Table 18 shows the percent of the total U.S. population age 10 and over (1) who engage in both taping and buying, (2) who tape albums and or selections but do not buy, (3) who buy prerecorded product but do not tape, and (4) who neither tape nor buy. It can be seen that in comparison to the 19% of the population (16+3) who taped at least one complete album and/or selection during the survey year, fully 51% of the population (16+ 35) bought at least one record or prerecorded tape during this time period. Table 18 also shows that 82% of tapers are current buyers of records and prerecorded tapes. In contrast, only 44% of the nontapers are current buyers.

Current buyers were asked to indicate the amount of money they had spent on records and prerecorded tapes during the survey year In addition to showing the percent of the buyers who are and are not tapers Table 18 shows the percent of the total dollars spent on records and prerecorded tapes accounted for by these two groups. Note that although only 31% of buyers are tapers these buyers account for almost half (48%) of the total dollars spent on prerecorded music. In sum. Table 18 shows that tapers are not only more likely than nontapers to be current buyers of records and prerecorded tapes but on the average, tapers spend more money on prerecorded music than do nontapers

Findings Part V

Other Characteristics of Album and/or Selection Tapers

In addition to describing their buying of blank audio tape and their taping behavior, all respondents also answered questions about their buying of records and prerecorded tapes as well as questions about their interest in and concern with music.

In this section we will see that album and/or selection tapers are not only more likely to be buyers of records and prerecorded tapes than are nontapers, but they also spend more money on prerecorded product than do the nontapers. More importantly this relationship between taping and buying is largely a reflection of a more general commitment to music. Viewed from this perspective, home taping of albums and selections provides an alternate way of adding to one's recorded music collection. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that if home taping were not possible, these album and/or selection tapers would be spending more on prerecorded product.

For ease of presentation, in the remainder of this section the term Taper will refer to those respondents who taped complete albums and/or individual selections. Those who have not engaged in this type of taping (even though they may have done other types of taping) will be referred to as Nontapers.