Illegal File Sharers 'Spend More On Music Than Legal Downloaders'

People who download musically illegally spend more each year buying CDs and MP3s legitimately than those opposed to file sharing, a new survey has revealed.

The UK-based report found illegal downloaders also spent on average £77 a year buying music, while legitimate shoppers spent just £44.

A total of 1008 people aged between 16 and 50 were polled by researchers Demos.

Almost one in 10 admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing websites, but eight out of 10 said they bought music legally.

Seventy-five percent of 16-24 year olds said they were willing to pay to download music, with 45p emerging as the optimum price per track.

The figure is considerably less than the individual track price currently offered by online music stores, including iTunes and Amazon.

Demos researcher Peter Bradwell told the BBC that the results showed that consumers want “lower prices and easier access to music”.

He also called on politicians and music companies to recognise how “music consumption has changed”.

Last week, the UK government announced plans to disconnect persistent illegal downloaers from the internet.