"The number of consumers using peer-to-peer (P2P) services to download music declined 17 percent between 2011 and 2012. As a result, the volume of illegally downloaded music files from P2P services declined 26 percent compared to the previous year.

..."

 

 

http://thenextweb.com/media/2013/02/26/npd...aming-services/

Makes sense I guess, with streaming services like Spotify being used more and more

 

Edited February 27, 201312 yr by mango

I just read the MW article from the edition of the 4/2 today and its said that but over all much more people still illegally download it was something like 93 million legal downloads compared to 153 million illegal ones - if someone could get the actual figures it would be great!

I suspect a large volume of 'illegal' downloads comes from those using P2P services to listen to a leaked album before it is released. I'll happily admit that I do this from time to time if it means I can hear an album a few weeks before I officially buy it. If more acts just made their albums available as soon as they were ready then I think this number would reduce significantly.

Here is another interesting article with more exact figures:

 

“Digital driving recorded music industry towards recovery”

 

http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2013.html