• Guardian, Monday, July 13, 2009 11:32 AM

The number of teenagers illegally sharing music has fallen dramatically in the UK over the past year, according to a new survey. In January of this year, 26% of 14-18 year olds reported file-sharing at least once a month compared to 42% in December of 2007. The survey of 1,000 music fans also showed that 65% of teenagers are now streaming music regularly online through services like YouTube and Spotify.

"Even though users of streaming services are not necessarily buying more music, the industry benefits by learning more about fans' tastes," writes the Guardian's Alexandra Topping. As Steve Purdham, CEO and founder of We7, a music streaming service and download store, says, "They may not buy an album, though they have that opportunity, but you can sell them tour tickets and a T-shirt of their favourite band."

Music research firm Music Ally carried out the survey with media and technology research company, The Leading Question. According to Music Ally CEO Paul Brindley, "These figures challenge the idea that filesharing will just continue to grow. While we don't think for a second that it shows the war against piracy is won, it does at least suggest that there is encouraging news for the music industry."

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