Shelly Palmer

File-Sharing Downloads Down, Paid Song Downloads Up

Music
 

Jonathan Bokor of ABC Enhanced TV sent in this item which confirms, among other things, that Bokor’s crystal ball is working perfectly.  He predicted this particular probable future … looks like he was right!

Washington — While the percentage of Internet music downloaders who said they used peer-to-peer file-sharing systems has declined to 21%, from 31% in February 2004, the percentage who said they had paid for songs on services like iTunes increased to 34%, up from 17% last year, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

In total, the survey found that about 36 million Americans, or 27% of Internet users, download music or video files. Increasingly, Internet users say they are downloading songs from sources other that peer-to-peer. Overall, 48% of current music downloaders said they have used other sources: 19% — or about 7 million Americans — say they have downloaded songs directly from someone else’s iPod or other digital music player, while 28% say they get songs and movies via e-mail and instant messaging applications.

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