Aussies are increasingly using music streaming services, with downloads and online CD purchases losing ground, Roy Morgan Research figures show.

The Roy Morgan figures reveal that in the 12 months to March 2012, 6.1 per cent of the population had paid to download music, with 2.1 per cent purchasing CDs online, in any given four-week period, with this having slipped to 4.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively, as of March this year.

Meanwhile, streaming has headed the other way, with the proportion of Aussies streaming music in an average four weeks having grown from 10.3 per cent in 2012 to 19.7 per cent this year, with streaming radio having grown from 6.1 per cent to 9.6 per cent.

“The online space remains as crucial as ever to our music consumption, but the advent of streaming – whether free (eg. radio station apps) or by subscription (eg. Apple Music) – has impacted sales of downloads and CDs,” Norman Morris, Roy Morgan Research industry communications director, commented.

“However, music downloads in particular still have some devoted buyers.”

The Roy Morgan figures show that certain consumer groups remain well above average for purchasing music online, such as people who also buy other entertainment products online.

For instance, Australians who purchase movie or TV show downloads are almost 10 times as likely than average to buy music downloads as well.

Morris observed that this represents “an irresistible opportunity for internet retailers to cross-promote their products”.