January 30, 2008

By By Antony Bruno, Denver

A new NPD Group report finds that while most teens and tweens are using paid music download services these days, they're also still using pirate sites at a high rate. The research group estimates up to 70% of U.S. kids aged 9 - 14 download music in a given month. Almost half, or 49% use iTunes, while another 26% use Limewire. MySpace was listed as the third most popular site for sharing music, at 16%.

NPD Group blames parents for letting their children use the Web unsupervised as a major factor.

"The music industry hoped that litigation and education might encourage parents to keep better tabs on their kids' digital music activities," said NPD analyst Russ Crupnick in a statement releasing the reports results, "but the truth is many kids continue to share music via P2P."

He says two-thirds of these kids who use the Internet do so unsupervised. Another 59% say they download music themselves, with no parental assistance.

"Findings in this report suggest that the industry can still do more to promote specific ways children can obtain digital music legally, through pre-paid accounts and gift cards," Crupnick added. "Another potential way to reach kids is through industry-sanctioned, ad-supported Web destinations where kids can obtain digital music safely and legally."

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