21% Of US Internet Users Download Music Or Video From Internet

The national survey questioned 1,421 adult internet users in the US between January 13 and February 9 2005. The results show that 19% of current music and video downloads are of pirated material, with 7 million adults, say they have downloaded files from someone else’s iPod or MP3 player.

About 28%, or 10 million people, claimed to have received music and video files via email and instant messages. However, there is some overlap between these two groups, with 9% of downloaders saying they have used both of these sources.

The percentage of internet users who say they download music files has increased from 18%, in February 2004 to 22% in January 2005. This number however, remains below the peak level of 32% in October 2002.

In total, 48% of current downloaders have used sources other than peer-to-peer networks or paid music and movie services to get music or video files.

The Pew survey also reveals that 49% of all Americans and 53% of internet users believe that the firms that own and operate file-sharing networks should be deemed responsible for the pirating of music and movie files.

The public is sharply divided on the question of whether government enforcement against music and movie pirates will work, but broadband users strongly believe that a government crackdown will not succeed.

Research published earlier this month by Pew Internet & American Life Project showed that over 22 million American adults have iPods or MP3 players, with internet users four times more likely than non-internet users to own one of these music devices (see Internet Users More Likely To Own Music Players).

The research summary by Lee Rainie reports that 15% of internet users have iPods or MP3 players compared to just 4% of non-internet users. This is probably a result of internet users having the capacity to download the music they want online.