Average iPod has 842 illegal tracks

The average young person's MP3 player carries more than 800 illegal tracks, a survey has found.

Research undertaken at the University of Hertfordshire showed that half of 14 to 24-year-olds share their digital music collection, allowing others to freely copy tracks.

The average MP3 player contains 1,770 songs, with 842 obtained illegally.

Fergal Sharkey, ex-Undertones lead singer and chief executive of British Music Rights, told The Times: "I was one of those people who went around the back of the bike shed with songs I had taped off the radio the night before. But this totally dwarfs that, and anything we expected."

Sharkey added that making paid-for, monthly subscription services more readily available would help reduce music piracy.

"The positive message is that 80% of downloaders said they would pay for a legal subscription-based service, and they told us they would be willing to pay more than a few pounds a month," he said.