Internet music piracy is riding at record levels and is set to rise as newly emboldened consumers revolt against high online prices and controversial technology designed to prevent digital bootlegging.

In a survey carried out by Entertainment Media Research, 43 per cent of people said they illegally downloaded tracks, up from 36 per cent in 2006.

The rise coincided with a fall in consumers’ fears of prosecution after a rash of high-profile cases in 2006 slowed this year.

The trend towards piracy appears likely to accelerate, with nearly one in five of the 1,700 people polled claiming they will download more unauthorised tracks in the future, compared to only 8 per cent in 2006, the report’s authors said.

The survey also suggested that, as CDs fall in price, online retailers should adopt variable pricing to safeguard the “internet discount” that has previously been regarded as a key reason for buying online.

In 2006, the price advantage of downloads was the third most significant factor in motivating download purchases, cited by 45 per cent of respondents. That figure fell to 31 per cent this year.

Meanwhile, 84 per cent of consumers agreed that older digital downloads should be cheaper while 48 per cent claimed they would be prepared to pay more for newly released tracks.

There was also evidence of resistance against digital rights management (DRM) technology, which is designed to prevent piracy and often limits the type and number of devices on which a digital track can be played.

Two thirds of respondents had heard of DRM and more than 60 per cent believed that it invaded the rights of the consumer to listen to their music on different platforms.

John Enser, partner and head of music at Olswang, the law firm, said: “Variable pricing models and DRM-free music, which would allow consumers legally to transfer music to other devices, were popular among respondents and represent new ways of enticing people away from breaking the law."

The research also underscored the growing importance of social network sites among music consumers. More than half of people polled said they used social network sites to discover new music and artists.

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