Pew Report: Two Thirds of Internet Users are Paying for Digital Content

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Some 65 percent of Internet users have paid to access some form of online content, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, but only 16 percent have paid for videos, movies or TV shows.

Pew surveyed 755 Internet users late last year. It found that digital music and software were the top categories (33 percent), followed by cell phone or tablet computer apps (21 percent), digital games (19 percent), and digital newspapers, magazines or reports (18 percent). Pew notes that 16 percent have paid to watch content, 19 percent have paid for ebooks and 7 percent for podcasts.

The study also indicates that the majority of the Internet users pay for subscription services (23 percent), versus downloading an individual file (16 percent), or accessing streaming content (8 percent). Internet users who live in higher-income bracket households are more likely to pay for various kinds of content than those who live in lower-income brackets. In addition, of those Internet users who reported a dollar amount for purchasing online content, the typical user spent $10 per month.

"What was really surprising was that the percentage of internet users purchasing online content is nearly the same as those purchasing other products and services, such as books and travel," noted Jim Jansen, the author of the Pew Internet report. "Additionally, the range of online content that Internet users purchase is quite varied."