Question

the advent of online streaming has led many music listeners to drift away from ownership of music (through downloads or through physical media such as compact discs) in favor of the streaming services youtube music and accuradio, among others. luis aguiar studied the effect of the 2011 implementation of a restriction on the free version of the french streaming service deezer: its unlimited usage was reduced to five hours a month, while the paid premium versions usage remained unlimited. aguiar found that listeners who used the free service visited licensed online music sellers (e.g., the itunes store) and sites that make unlicensed music available to download about 2% less after the restriction was implemented, suggesting that__________
which choice most logically completes the text?
a. the implementation of the restriction reduced the overall number of users of the streaming service.
b. restrictions on the amount of music that can be streamed may actually suppress users interest in owning music.
c. most users of the free streaming service were probably encouraged by the restriction to move to a paid version of the service with unlimited, ad - free listening.
d. consumers are unlikely to purchase physical copies of music that is readily available through streaming.

Explanation:

The text states that after a restriction on the free version of a streaming service (reducing its usage to five hours a month), listeners of the free service downloaded about 2% less from licensed online music sellers. This implies a connection between the streaming restriction and the behavior related to owning music (downloading is a form of owning in the digital sense).

• Option A: The text is about the behavior of free - service users regarding music ownership (downloads) after the restriction, not the overall number of streaming - service users. So, A is incorrect.
• Option B: Since the restriction on streaming (free service) led to a decrease in downloads (a form of music ownership), it suggests that restrictions on streaming might suppress users' interest in owning music. This option aligns with the cause - effect relationship in the text.
• Option C: The text does not mention anything about users moving to a paid version. It focuses on the download behavior related to music ownership. So, C is incorrect.
• Option D: The text is about the effect of a streaming - service restriction on downloads (a form of digital music ownership), not about physical copies. So, D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. restrictions on the amount of music that can be streamed may actually suppress users' interest in owning music.