Japanese Internet market researcher Info Plant has announced the results of its survey of 500 Internet users aged 10 or older in China on their experience with online music. Of the respondents, 96.4% have downloaded music over the Internet, although 79.6% have used only a free download service.

Of the online music users, 92.4% are satisfied with music download services, and 87.1% say that they record music on a PC hard drive. Relatively small percentages of online music users use downloaded tunes for cellphone ring tones (24.3%) and melody calls (12.0%).

When asked about paid music download services, 51.2% of those surveyed expressed their desire to use them, but as many as 61.8% of them think a tune should cost less than one yuan (12 cents). In China, a CD typically sells for around 15CNY (US$1.85). Usage fees were cited as the main factor to widespread paid services by 75.2% of the respondents, followed by sound quality (65.0%) and download speed (62.6%).

The survey also found (in multiple answers) that 80.8% of the respondents usually use a PC to listen to music, followed by a digital audio player (64.6%) and a mini component system (48.4%).

The company conducted the survey on April 25-28.