How did Janis Ian connect online MP3 sharing with sales of her older music?

Janis Ian, an American singer-songwriter, observed that the unauthorized sharing of her music in MP3 format actually helped boost the sales of her older works. In a 2002 essay, she detailed how the circulation of these digital files across the internet acted as a promotional tool, effectively reintroducing her backlist to audiences long after her publishers had ceased active promotion of those recordings.1

By making her music more accessible, the online sharing phenomenon allowed listeners to discover or rediscover her catalog, which in turn translated into increased commercial interest in her older albums.1