A survey of UK residents found that half of YouTube users who watched streaming music videos went on to purchase the music.
Surprisingly, 36 percent of respondents said they bought CDs, and the other 15 percent said they downloaded digital tracks, according to the March 2009 study by Ipsos MediaCT, as reported by the BBC. The 15-24 age bracket bought in higher numbers, with 45 percent of respondents saying they bought CDs and 19 percent using digital downloads.
The news comes weeks after YouTube pulled music videos from its UK site. Negotiations with royalty collection group PRS for Music fell through over royalty rates, and so YouTube abruptly removed the content. The survey results might sting PRS, though they probably already have a sense of how much revenue will be lost.
Ipsos asked the survey respondents what they thought of the dispute. Most took YouTube's side, with 47 percent saying the site was right to take action, and 28 percent said the move was a bad call. The remaining respondents said they didn't know enough about the issue or were undecided.
The survey's primary goal was to determine where people are going for music videos. For adults as a whole, TV is still king, but more 15-24 year olds watch YouTube compared to dedicated TV music channels by a narrow margin -- 57 percent to 56 percent. For those still in education, 69 percent choose YouTube, suggesting that the streaming site will ultimately gain a larger market share.
