While the percentage of Internet music downloaders who said they used peer-to-peer file-sharing systems has declined to 21 percent, from 31 percent in February 2004, the percentage who said they had paid for songs on services like iTunes increased to 34 percent, up from 17 percent last year, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
The survey found that about 36 million Americans, or 27 percent of Internet users, download music or video files. Increasingly, Internet users say they are downloading songs from sources other than peer-to-peer.
Overall, 48 percent of current music downloaders said they have used other sources: 19 percent — or about 7 million Americans — say they have downloaded songs directly from someone else's iPod or other digital music player, while 28 percent say they get songs and movies via e-mail and other applications.
