The recording industry, it seems, doesn't hate absolutely everything about illicit music downloading. Despite their legal blitzkrieg to stop online song-swapping, many music labels are benefiting from — and paying for — intelligence on the latest trends in Internet trading.

It's a rich digital trove these recording executives are mining. By following the buzz online, they can determine where geographically to market specific artists for maximum profitability.

"The record industry has always been more about vibe and hype," said Jeremy Welt, head of new media for Maverick Records in Los Angeles. "For the first time, we're making decisions based on what consumers are doing and saying as opposed to just looking at radio charts."

One company, Beverly Hills-based BigChampagne, began mining such data from popular peer-to-peer networks in 2000 and has built a thriving business selling it to recording labels.

More scoop on the poop here.