Downloaders provide £200m revenue

Illegal downloaders provide an estimated £200 million revenue to the music industry, research showed.

According to Demos, illegal downloaders spend an average of £77 a year on genuine music, £33 more than those who do not break the law.

In the survey of 1,008 people aged between 18 and 50 conducted last month, more than eight in 10 people who download music illegally said they buy the same albums after downloading them.

A total of 42% who access illegal services said they did so to try tracks out before buying them, indicating that file sharing boosts sales.

Nearly two-thirds of people who access music illegally also said that if a new and cheaper music service was offered, they would stop illegal downloads.

The survey also found that if online providers offer music at 45p per song, rather than between 59p and 99p on iTunes, they could encourage legal sales.

Peter Bradwell, researcher at Demos, said: "This research demonstrates that cutting file sharers off may not be the best solution for the Government if they are intent on helping the music industry."

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "The scale of unlawful file-sharing poses a real threat to the long-term sustainability of our creative industries."

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