Digital downloaders face pricey recovery for lost music

Music and film downloads are fast replacing CDs and DVDs, but less than one in ten Brits has made sure that they have adequate insurance for their digital content, according to new research from shopping website Quidco.com*.

This means that nine in ten Brits face a costly fee to replace their music if it gets lost or stolen.

Almost four in ten people surveyed by the cashback site confirmed they were not insured for the loss of digital content on their MP3 player, computer or mobile phone, and 50% didn’t know whether they were insured or not. This is worrying given that the value of music alone that Brits have downloaded is over £1.3 billion.**

To avoid paying out hundreds of pounds to replace their digital content, Quidco recommends Brits check the terms of their home contents insurance policy and take out a separate digital downloads policy if necessary. Shoppers can find offers from over 40 insurance providers on Quidco.com.

Hannah Green from Quidco said, “While their insured CDs and DVDs gather dust, music and film-lovers are building up valuable digital collections without giving a second thought to whether they’re protected against theft or damage. Only a few home contents insurance policies cover digital collections so it’s vital that people check the level of insurance they have now to avoid an expensive online shop later. Protecting their digital collection will be far less expensive than replacing it.”

* Survey of 1,008 GB adults aged 18 – 65, May – June 2010
** Survey conducted by Sainsburys Bank