The statistic shows the most common reasons for downloading music from illegal sources worldwide in 2017. During the survey, ** percent of respondents stated that they downloaded music from illegal sources because of the quality of the sound.

The statistic presents the reasons for using illegal file sharing services to stream or download music or radio in the United States in 2017. During the survey, ** percent of respondents stated that they used illegal file sharing services to stream or download music or radio because its cheaper/for free.

The statistic presents the share of consumers who use illegal file sharing services to stream or download music or radio in the United States in 2017, sorted by age group. During the survey, ** percent of respondents aged 15 to 25 stated that they used illegal file sharing services to stream or download music or radio an a yearly basis.

According to a survey conducted between August 2012 and March 2022, the share of internet users in the United Kingdom (UK) who had consumed digital music illegally had dropped from 20 percent in 2019 to 15 percent in 2021 before increasing to a share of 25 percent in 2022. The second lowest figure at 18 percent of all respondents was reported in 2017 and 2020.

The statistic presents data on the preferred platform for pirated music worldwide in 2016 and 2017. According to the source, mobile devices (including phones and tablets) accounted for 87 percent of visits to illegal music streaming sites in 2017, an increase from 52 percent in 2016.

 A survey from 2015 reported that 17 percent of the French surveyed declared that they illegally downloaded movies on the internet at least once a year. As of 2017, almost a third of the respondents from another survey stated to regularly download music, movies or TV shows illegally.  

An illegal consumption of cultural goods mainly among young people

That same source reveals that the illicit consumption of cultural goods online (music, movies, TV shows) was more common among French people aged between 15 and 34 years old, whilst less than 10 percent of respondents aged 65 or older did so. However, among regular illicit consumer of cultural goods on the Internet, gender was not a determinant factor: 22 percent of both men and women declared that they regularly enjoyed cultural goods online illegally.

Most common methods of illegal cultural consumption online

How do Internet users access cultural goods unlawfully? Using access codes, subscriptions of other people was one habit used among French people: 17 percent declared doing so at least once a month in 2017, and 16 percent said they utilized the internet network belonging to someone else. Finally, the most popular illicit consumption feature in France was watching streaming online, before direct download or peer-to-peer download.

In 2024, revenue from digital album downloads amounted to 166.7 million U.S. dollars, less than half the figure recorded in 2018. Meanwhile, subscription and streaming revenues have been increasing annually and reached 14.88 billion that same year, making up the vast majority of revenues for the entire music industry. Digital music – additional informationThe increase in digital music revenue, more specifically subscription and streaming services, may be down to the accessibility and availability of digital music. For legal downloads, consumers can pick between services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. Of course, there are countless numbers of illegal sites which distribute digital music also. In 2019, approximately 34 percent of global internet users aged 16 to 24 admitted to accessing music through music ripping, the most popular method being copyright infringement.Digital music sales have made a huge impact on the listings of best-selling lists with digital sales either being combined with physical sales or set apart. The list of the top-selling digital songs in the United States in 2020 features artists such as The Weeknd, Tones and I, and Megan Thee Stallion. The title for the top selling digital song goes to ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd. The song sold over 372 thousand units in the United States from January to July 2020. Nevertheless, the share of the digital music market does not always directly correspond to the value of the digital market. The value of digital music singles downloads in 2024 amounted to 162.4 million U.S. dollars, which marked a drop in value from 678.5 million in 2017. The value of digital album sales also saw a decrease from 668.5 million in 2017 to 166.7 million in 2024.

Between the second half of 2024 and first half of 2025 nearly ****billion visits were recorded globally on illegal platforms used to download or stream media such as TV shows, films, and music. Among these, TV content was the most frequently consumed pirated category, with ***** billion visits worldwide. In the measured period, publishing content piracy recorded the highest growth of over 100 percent.

Annual music album sales in the United States dropped by roughly ***** percent between 2019 and 2021, amounting to just *** million in the most recent year. This number decreased further to just *** million in the U.S. in 2022. In 2013, sales amounted to ***** million units, a number which had already noticeably decreased from the *** million units sold in 2011. Annual music album sales - additional information The past decade has brought along many changes, both technological and societal, which have forever changed the face of the global music industry. Today, music superstars, such as Beyonce, who was the highest paid musician in the United States in 2016, have money, coverage in all possible mediums, and power like never before. However, as of 2015, the worldwide revenue generated by the music business stood at **** billion U.S. dollars, some **** billion less than in 2002. It seems that the internet, the magical tool that is responsible for the creation of so many music celebrities, might also be responsible for the dismal statistics surrounding the sale of music albums in the United States, once the main revenue stream in the business. As the data shows, annual music album sales in the United States have plummeted from *** million units sold in 2007 to under *** million units sold in 2017. At the same time, digital music revenues, especially from album and single downloads, as well as subscription and streaming services, have been steadily growing in the past years. The fall in record sales is attributed to the rise of illegal music downloading, but also to legal services, which provide music products without the additional costs of production and shipping. Despite changes in the way Americans acquire music, U.S. consumers still enjoy and value music industry products. Recent studies show that more consumers are choosing to use a legal alternative to file sharing, mainly digital music streaming services, such as online radio services like Pandora and Spotify. Additionally, musicians reorient themselves from album sales towards live performances and business deals to boost their incomes. As of 2017, the sales revenue from concert tickets in North America was at an all-time high, with revenue hit ***** billion U.S. dollars for the first time.